


Worlds Apart

by midnight_laugh



Category: DanPlan, Youtubers, youtube - Fandom
Genre: DanPlan - Freeform, High School AU, Idiots in Love, M/M, Stephen is a mafia man, YouTube, art kid Hosuh, crushing so damn hard, gangfights but not really, hella tussle, just two lovestruck dumbasses, lgbtq+, m/m - Freeform, smol bois, ugh they're so stupidly in love, we stan disaster gays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2020-12-16 00:42:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 49,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21027443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnight_laugh/pseuds/midnight_laugh
Summary: Shai laughed, clapping Hosuh on the shoulder, "I'll gladly suffer a period of Geography if it means you get to spend Chem with your boyfriend; let's go.""Stephen's not my boyfr—""Shh... Hosuh; that's a minor thing."A Danplan story.A Highschool AU where Stephen is the leader of one of the sector's biggest gangs. He and Hosuh, an openly gay student, study at the same high school.I know they have their own surnames, but I changed them in this story, don't come at me. This story will be taken down if anyone from Danplan requests it.





	1. Author's Note

Just a quick disclaimer: As I mentioned in the description, Hosuh and Stephen have different surnames in this story, just in case anyone gets confused. Also, Stephen will be a year older than Hosuh, even though in real life Hosuh is the oldest.

This is basically an overview of the characters so you can skip if you don't think you'll need it. So basically it's a Highschool AU where Hosuh's openly gay, and Stephen just runs the biggest gang in the sector. Stephen's gang isn't really bad, you'll see what I mean once you start reading. Stephen's also bi, but nobody apart from his gang really knows. Dan is pansexual and he and Jay Ko (Jay3) are in Stephen's gang too.

They attend the same (very prestigious) high school, Crest Academy High. Hosuh does really well when it comes to academics, but Stephen's just sorta... Stephen. He can do well if he wants to, but he doesn't want to. Stephen's gang doesn't all attend his same school; in fact, Stephen and Daniel are the only ones there. The rest of his gang isn't really that well-off or particularly gifted with intelligence. You'll see how Hosuh plays into this all.

Side note, Ivu and Shai both attend Crest High (short form for Crest Academy High that will be used throughout the story), they're Hosuh's friends, but aren't in very many of his classes. So they'll show up a bit, not much though.

The story is set in Canada, where the Danplan guys live, and I will be doing as much research as I can to ensure the accuracy of the story, but please forgive me if I get anything wrong, because I don't personally live in or anywhere near Canada.

Obviously, the characters aren't mine (go sub to Danplan), and this story will be taken down if Danplan asks for it. The plot and everything is mine, though.

Have fun reading, I guess.


	2. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: sorry, punctuation error.

Hosuh was walking down the street with his little sister, Annabelle. It was the last week of the summer holidays and they'd wanted to hang out and cook together before they returned to the hectic schedules that came with school. It was about five in the afternoon and they were just returning with groceries. 

Annabelle's middle school was on the way back to their home, and Annabelle groaned, flinging a hand dramatically over her forehead as they passed it, "In sooth I know not why I am so sad... actually, I do. Three more days till school starts again. "

Hosuh chuckled, " Yeah... it kinda sucks. But at least you'll see your friend again. Alina...?"

Annabelle pushed Hosuh lightly, " It's Elinyah. I feel like you get her name wrong on purpose all the-- "

Annabelle was cut off, when a mother, walking on the same side of the pavement as them, holding the hand of a young kid and pushing a stroller with a baby in it glared at Hosuh with a dirty look. She pointedly pushed the stroller across the street and hurried her children away while muttering something under her breath about sinners going to hell that Hosuh didn't particularly want to hear. 

The grocery bags that Hosuh was carrying grew heavier even as Annabelle flipped the lady off, not caring for the very affluent environment they were in, murmuring, "Don't let that stupid homophobe get to you, she was being a jerk."

Hosuh threw his sister a half-hearted smile that he wished was genuine.

*****

"Good one, boys," Stephen leaned against a wall, flipping his hair out of his face, "good one."

He and two of his group, Jay and Daniel, had been making passes of their sector's most shady neighborhood, just taking an evening run and watching for other trouble. 

Good thing too, he thought to himself, they'd just managed to stop a teenage girl from getting assaulted in a back alley of who-knows-where.

They'd been jogging past, and had almost missed the muffled screams of the girl. Sprinting into the back alley, they'd found a jerk, barely their age, pushing the girl against a wall, hand shoved against her mouth, her denim jacket half down around her elbows, tossing her long brown hair with every frantic shake of her head.

Stephen had only stepped forward, tossing his head with that dark arrogance, glanced at his watch and murmured, "A little late in the evening to be causing trouble in one of my neighbourhoods, wouldn't you think?"

The asshole had only growled, "Fuck off."

Stephen cocked his head to the side, purple hair sweeping his eyebrows, "The epitome of gentlemanly eloquence. Are you waiting for a round of applause?" the humor in his eyes vanished, and he said, dangerously quiet, "Leave the girl alone, you had no right to do what you did. If you know what's good for you, I won't hear of you making trouble in my sector again. "

Jay and Daniel had stepped from the shadows then, faces colder than ice. The guy had glanced between Stephen, Jay, and Daniel, only finally seeming to notice their unnatural hair colors, and recognizing Stephen as the leader of the one gang he did not want to mess with. His eyes had widened, and he'd pushed the girl roughly towards them before running off into the darkening night like a coward.

The girl had been sobbing, very shaken, and clearly incapable of getting herself home safely. After finally getting her address -- she lived barely a few streets away -- Stephen had sent Jay, who lived the closest to her area, to walk her home.

"Head home once she's safely inside, Dan and I will head back first; we'll see you tomorrow. Make sure she gets _inside_ before you leave, we're not takingany chances," Stephen emphasized, looking the girl over once again. She'd stopped hyperventilating and crying but with those shaking hands and wide eyes... she needed to get indoors. Somewhere safe.

Jay nodded firmly and led the girl away, his yellow hair glowing like a beacon in the dying evening light. 

Stephen loosed a breath, turning away from the alley with Daniel following behind him,   
"It's time to go home."


	3. First Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the start of every chapter, I put the day and week. The day just refers to which weekday it is. The week number refers to the number of weeks it has been since the point in time where the story started.
> 
> Edit: Phrasing issue, nothing huge.

**[Monday, Week 1]**

Hosuh stepped in the school gates, trying not to be overwhelmed by the sheer size and ornate architecture of the place. He was already a high school senior, but couldn't help still being amazed by the intricacy of the school. Crest Academy High, the gilded letters across the entrance proclaimed. 

One of the most prestigious schools in the country.

Still, Hosuh told himself, it wasn't like standing in front of the building like some dumbstruck idiot was going to accomplish anything.

Bracing himself for all the people and noise, Hosuh took a deep breath and entered the main school foyer. 

It was loud.

Clutching his sketchbooks and laptop closer to himself, Hosuh hurried through the mob of people, trying to make his way to the hallway where his locker was. The crowds swirled around him, people way too excited over meeting their friends again. As if they hadn't already hung out all summer.

After struggling through the crowds for what seemed like forever, Hosuh finally managed to get into his hallway. 

It was a mistake.

Somehow, the locker corridors were even more crowded than the main lobby. There were people everywhere. People who were yelling, laughing, some already making out against walls and lockers, and even a few piggybacking their friends. Hosuh could've sworn a book whistled past his head.

"Locker one hundred and ninety-six," Hosuh murmured, "one ninety-six, one nine six, one nine six..."

Hosuh tiptoed to glance around for his locker, muttering a quick apology when he almost lost balance and fell against a girl in a green skirt.

There. Barely thirty feet away, was Locker 196.

Thirty feet, thirty feet, thirty-- purple hair?

Hosuh's attention was snagged by a boy, mauveine hair artfully ruffled, brown eyes -- or maybe they were green -- homing in with considerable focus on another kid who was a good few inches shorter, a blond dude who looked very much like a jerk.

Grapehead, who was spoiling for a fight and clearly had some steam to blow off, growled, "Say that again, and I'll knock your teeth down your ugly throat."

The blond guy only replied, "Bold words coming from a guy with gangmembers who can barely pass their classes. You and your plant-headed friend are only here because you're rich."

Grapehead cut him a withering glare that would've set anyone else running, "And those are bold words from a dude who fights like a newborn kitten."

Done speaking, Grapehead lifted his fists, leather jacket shifting with the movement, and adjusted his stance, staring the other guy down like a tiger well aware that it was the apex predator on the killing field.

"I bet you don't ev--" the blond's taunt was cut short when Grapehead launched himself into the air, aiming a kick with those long, denim-covered legs right at the guy's face. 

A green smudge appeared in Hosuh's periphery, accompanied by a hand clapping down on his shoulder. Hosuh glanced to his left to see a guy with clover-green hair giving him a half smile. 

"Dude, you should probably move away from here. Like, it's not really safe right now, and I'm sure the principal's gonna come to intervene soon. Stephen -- I mean, that dude with the purple hair is kinda angry right now, he's just looking for some jerk to beat up for the smallest reason. Lemme get you outta here real quick," the boy nodded towards Grapehead, apparently named Stephen.

The name sounded real familiar for some reason.

Hosuh found himself guided away from the fight and deposited by Leafboi conveniently close to his locker.

"Why's he so... aggressive?" Hosuh asked. Picking a fight on the first day of school wasn't really most people's idea of a good start to the semester. 

Leafboi glanced over, "That blond guy insulted me and a bunch of others in our gang. Our group. The name's Daniel, by the way. See you around."

And with that, Leafb-- no, _Daniel_, had disappeared into the crowd of students who were now egging the two boys on.

Hosuh shook his head, turning to his locker to drop off some textbooks. 

Stephen... was it with a "v" or a "ph"? Why did the name seem somewhat familiar?

In the background, Hosuh could vaguely make out the sounds of the dean, Ms Trableu -- a petite, but commandeering lady -- single-handedly breaking up the fight without jarring a single strand of caramel hair on her head, and sending both boys to her office. The prim clicking of heels and swishing of skirts sounded and faded as she left to corral the two.

Hosuh, having collected all he needed for his first class of the day, History, exited the hallway from the opposite end as the dean and hurried to his classroom on the second level, barely a couple minutes before the bell rang.

By the time the History teacher had taken attendance and class had started, Hosuh was still wondering why that boy's name had stuck with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, I have a profile on Wattpad too; you guys can check me out there at ShinyThe19th. This story will be going up there once the full thing is finished.


	4. Unexpected

**[Monday, Week 1]**

Hosuh was... was...

His head slipped off its perch on his palm, jerking him to consciousness.

Hosuh was awake. He wasn't sleeping. He was taking notes.

In his incredibly boring Chemistry lesson.

He shook the sleep from his face; he would never get through _any_ graded test, let alone midterms, if he napped through every class. Allowing himself to check the clock once, he sighed.

Barely more than ten minutes had passed.

Barely--

Footsteps sounded outside the class, lazy and casual. A boy -- a purple-haired boy -- stepped in the door, stifling a yawn, hair slightly messy.

A smirking drawl came, "Sorry I'm late, is this the senior Chemistry class?"

The teacher, a large middle-aged lady, jerked her head towards the rest of the class, "You're ten minutes late."

Stephen -- Hosuh remembered his name -- only pulled up the black sleeve of his bomber jacket and glanced casually at his watch, "I already _apologized_, are we going to spend more time on this?"

The teacher sighed and checked her attendance sheet, "Stephen Delanore. Go sit at a free seat, you've wasted enough time."

Smirking unapologetically, Stephen made his way to the back of the class.

A quick sweep of the classroom told Hosuh that the only empty seat in the class was beside himself. Sitting with Stephen Delanore would be--

Stephen Delanore?

Hosuh's eyes widened at the name of the leader of one of the most powerful gangs in the area. He'd heard of a gang leader who attended Crest High, but...

The scraping of a chair against tiled floor dragged Hosuh back to reality. Dropping into the seat with feline grace, Hosuh's new deskmate turned to look at him, and held out his hand.

Another yawn.

A smirk, "I would introduce myself, but I think you already know."

And with that, Hosuh shook hands with Stephen Delanore.

**\- time skip -**

"Hosuh, please see me after class," the teacher called.

Everyone looked over at him, some curious, some sympathetic.

Crap.

What had he done? He'd barely said anything all lesson.

It was his art period now, the last lesson of the day. Had he done something wrong? 

He toyed with the idea of running, books and paints and all, out of class and all the way home. But that'd never do. 

Sighing, he checked the time. Just under five minutes until the lesson ended. Hosuh wasn't sure if he wanted time to pass quicker or slower. 

Still, he thought to himself as he washed his paintbrushes and kept his array of pencils, no use sitting here and worrying. Might as well get the whole thing over and done with.

The bell rang.

Hosuh muttered a curse under his breath, slipping all his art supplies into his backpack and heading over to the teacher's desk.

"Miss Inesca?" he cleared his throat, hoping to sound more confident, "You wanted to see me?"

The young teacher herself, was not intimidating in the least. At least until she got angry. Then those strange green eyes would glare out from behind her wire-rim glasses, those paint-speckled hands would rest on her hips, that silvery voice turning harsher than steel, her curly mass of red hair like the warning of lightning before her thunder. Miss Inesca was definitely known throughout the school for her rare tempers.

Miss Inesca glanced up, frizzy hair bouncing, head tilted to one side, "Oh yes, I did. Have a seat, it won't take long, don't worry."

"Did I do something wrong? Am I going to get detention?" Hosuh blurted out, taking a seat opposite her.

"Well, yes and no."

Hosuh only scrunched his eyebrows in confusion.

"You see, I'm supposed to be supervising the detention class this week, but it happens that I need to attend to business overseas for six, maybe seven days. I wouldn't have bothered you if I could help it, but I just can't seem to find myself a replacement," Miss Inesca pushed up her glasses, eyebrows furrowing at the thought.

"You... you want me to oversee the detention sessions for the entire week? But I'm a student." Hosuh couldn't stop his eyes from widening in disbelief; there was no way he could keep so many students under control. 

His art teacher nodded, "Yes, and students usually aren't allowed to take classes of any sort, but the term has just started, and there are no teachers who can make the time to stand in for me. I received news that there's only going to be a couple of students in the detention class this week, but if you can't make it, the school can always postpone detention for the week."

"What would I have to do? Are there lessons to be taught...?"

Miss Inesca laughed, "No, none of that. Usually, we teachers just sit there and do our own work. All you'd have to do is make sure the students don't get too loud. Obviously, they're not allowed to leave until detention’s over, when you dismiss them. I asked you mainly because you're one of the eldest and most mature students I know, and you give a very no-nonsense vibe. You'll be starting tomorrow, if you don't mind. Sorry it's on such short notice."

Hosuh blinked, "I can try. Thank you for thinking I'm... up to the task."

"Well, thank _you_ for helping me. You can either contact me or mention to one of the other teachers if it really doesn't suit your liking. I'm sure we'll be able to do something about it," Miss Inesca reassured.

Hosuh smiled, giving his favorite teacher a polite dip of the head, murmuring a quick goodbye, before taking his leave.

Stepping out the door, he took a breath, and grinned slightly, "At least it's not detention."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanna know how the story is so far? This is my first time writing a published story, any constructive criticism you guys may have is welcome.
> 
> There'll definitely be more chapters on the way, and I'll try to upload as often as possible.


	5. Childish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: THE END NOTES have a link to a fanart piece of Worlds Apart done by panda.cri on Instagram, go check their stuff out because they’re cool and I said so.

**[Monday, Week 1]**

"So I'm sitting with this dude. He's really quiet," Stephen declared from where he sat on the couch. 

Well, he wasn't sitting, more like lying upside down.

While holding a wineglass.

Filled with goldfish crackers.

"Well, what's his name?" a certain spikey blond asked.

"Well, he doesn't talk much. But he has cool hair; it's silver," Stephen frowned, trying to recall.

"Silver hair? _You're_ sitting next to Hosuh Leblanc, the highest-scoring student in the school? For some reason, I don't quite believe it," came a good-natured laugh from Daniel, messy green hair and all.

"I do sit with him, whoever he is. What kind of strange name is 'Hosuh Leblanc'?" Stephen shrugged and tossed a goldfish into his mouth.

"Bold words, coming from someone with a fancy-ass name like Stephen Delanore," Jay grinned, stealing some crackers from Stephen's wineglass.

"Shut up, my name doesn't have all those weird accentuations you added. Anyway, who is the kid? He's so... effervescent," upon seeing Dan and Jay's questioning looks, Stephen explained, "Y'know, like a bubble. He's so tiny and translucent, it's like he might fade away any second."

Daniel shrugged, "I saved him from getting killed in the crossfire of your stupid catfight on the first day of school. That's all I've ever seen of him. I heard he caused quite the splash, showing up in our school one year, with a gleaming portfolio, unusual hair and all. He's the art department's crown jewel."

Stephen, intrigued enough to flip back over and sit on the couch the usual way, "So, you're telling me that the dude -- Hosuh, I mean -- is good at art, has the best academic results of the entire school, and has single-handedly won the award for most mysterious person in the whole establishment? How's he not overrun by crawling masses of fake friends?"

Jay deadpanned from his spot on the coffee table, "He sounds like a nerd, and your school is the literal human representation of a place for rich prep kids to waste money on. Of course your student population isn't falling at his feet."

Dan crunched down on a goldfish, "Well, not really. It's just, there's rumor that he's gay, and what with all the rich and _conservative_ preps, no guys really want to hang out with him because they're all fragile asshats, and the girls don't care for someone who takes no notice of their designer dresses and makeup. And also the whole social stigma thing."

"Geez, poor kid. Though I did suspect he wasn't straight. The ponytail and all," Stephen sighed. Fucking homophobes.

"Well someone's been scrutinizing their deskmate, hmm? Is that the bi I hear, Stephen?" Jay smirked, nudging Daniel.

"Yeah, since when did the ever-icey Stephen Delanore pay attention to anyone other than to pick fights?" Daniel laughed.

Stephen froze.

The kid? Hosuh?

Did he like Hosuh?

Stephen could remember how Hosuh's ponytail had swept gracefully over one slim shoulder, strands of quicksilver framing that pale face. He could remember how his fingers had itched to brush them out of the way, to see if they were actually as soft as they looked, slivers of moonlight around features of ivory.

Okay, just because the kid was pretty didn't mean Stephen liked him. If anything, Stephen told himself, it was a childish crush, it wouldn't last very long anyway. 

Hosuh didn't mean much to Stephen other than being his lab partner, and someone who did exceptionally well in school. Even if Stephen felt a strange pang of sadness after thinking that.

"I mean, the kid's different. Ephemeral, definitely; like he's always on the verge of drifting off somewhere. I just think he deserves more recognition," Stephen shrugged.

"Okay Stephen, sure," Jay teased, "Let's go. We gotta meet the guys, you big sap."

"I don't _actually_ like him, dunno what you're talking about." Stephen crossed his arms and turned away like a petulant kid.

Daniel stood, hauling Stephen to his feet, "Yeah, whatever you say, let's get on with it."

As they made their way out of the Delanore household's lavish living room, sneakers squeaking slightly on the marble, Stephen dragged behind, muttering, "Stephen doesn't have time for anyone but himself."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yayy!! New chapter out!  
Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far? Thanks for all the comments! With any luck, I'll be able to get another chapter out to you guys perhaps by Saturday...  
They'll be meeting in detention soon, don't worry.
> 
> EDIT: SOMEONE MADE ART FOR THE STORY. THAT SOMEONE IS panda.cri ON INSTAGRAM. check out their art, it’s amazing, all of it. highkey quaking rn.  
one hell of a shoutout to panda.cri, you the boss. y’all can find the art at https://www.instagram.com/p/B_aES9og7sG/


	6. Infamous

**[Tuesday, Week 1]**

Hosuh sighed, brushing his bangs out of his eyes, dark lashes flicking, and channeled more power to his legs. He was in gym, and they were running laps to warm up while their teacher — a tall lady with a tight ponytail and strong voice — timed them, looking more than a little impatient.

One more circuit around the sports hall and he'd be done. Although his legs weren't the longest, Hosuh was light and quick on his feet, and he ran nearer the faster runners in his class.

Over the tops of his classmates' heads, he'd glimpsed a head of purple leading the pack. It had made him nervous, for some reason. He couldn't let his new — fairly aloof — deskmate worry him, he had classes to focus on. Stephen seemed like the kind of guy who'd care about literally everything but academics; his grades certainly proved so.

Somebody overtook on Hosuh's right, jostling his arm and sending him tumbling back into reality. He was falling towards the middle of the class again. Willing himself to run faster, Hosuh completed the last few yards, slowing down and heading over to get a drink from his water bottle. 

Hosuh found himself glancing over to where a certain gang leader had finished the run a good ten seconds before him, barely winded by the eight laps around the gym. Stephen was leaning against a wall, surveying the place with a level stare. A noiret stood beside him in companionable silence. Hosuh wondered where Stephen's jade-headed friend — Daniel — was.

"Hey, you finished pretty fast," Hosuh's friend, Shai came up beside him, not a single tuft of cobalt hair disturbed from the run. 

"Where do you people even find the energy?" a girl with a moon white bob groaned, approaching from behind, a few stray hairs plastered to her face.

"This is why you should join me for morning runs, Ivu," Shai intoned, using the shorter girl as an armrest.

Ivu grimaced and shifted her head in indignance, "Who even does that nowadays?" Addressing both of them, she asked, "But did you see how fast those guys over there finished? I swear it barely took them a couple minutes."

Ivu's finger rose to point discreetly over in the direction of a group of boys. More specifically, the group of boys bunched around Stephen Delanore.

Shai frowned, pushing a lock of indigo behind an ear, voice cautiously dropping, "Isn't that guy with the ridiculous purple hair the dude who started a fight just yesterday?"

Hosuh nodded, admitting a little reluctantly, "Yeah, it is. His name's Stephen Delanore, if I'm not wrong. I sit next to him in Chemistry."

Ivu whipped her head to stare at Hosuh, "_That's _Stephen Delanore? And you sit with him? You know he runs a gang, right?"

Shai waved her away, "Ivu, everybody's heard of Stephen Delanore; the number of fights he picked last year alone is higher than any of Hosuh's grades," turning to Hosuh, she murmured, "You probably shouldn't get too involved with him, especially because you've been trying to focus on your studies. He seems like a heck ton of trouble."

"I know, I've already decided to stay as distant as I can. I'm hoping the term will pass soon, I don't want to get into any trouble with or because of him," Hosuh agreed, and glanced towards the middle of the sports hall.

Their teacher had begun briefing the class on what they were going to play that day. Dodgeball, from what Hosuh could make out. He moved in closer to hear the teacher better, Ivu and Shai following behind.

Hosuh reached up to retie his ponytail, remarking, "Dodgeball is... very stressful. But also fun."

"Don't worry, we'll be on your team," Ivu adjusted her shirt, though she looked a little nervous as well.

The class of twenty-six split into two teams on either half of the sports hall, each team starting with seven dodgeballs. 

Shai picked one up, weighing it, and made a face, "I'd hate to get hit with one of these things, gosh damn."

"Ugh... where is everyone's energy coming from? Who has the time and motivation to play such intensely harrowing games in this day and age?" Ivu fanned her face dramatically.

But for all of Shai's apprehension at getting hit, and Ivu's grousing about being tired, they made a very good team when the game started. Shai, on the offensive, was pelting the opposing team with the rubber balls, while Ivu's sharp eyes and quick hands ensured that nearly every ball that flew near her was caught, immediately eliminating whoever had thrown it.

Hosuh, knowing he wasn't the best at aiming, stayed on the sides as a decoy, standing still and looking as inattentive as possible, hoping to draw most of the other team's fire. Dodging three balls from different directions at once, Hosuh flipped his bangs out of his face, grateful for his relatively quick reflexes.

The match, Hosuh mused, was rather even. The teams on both sides were only about a third as large as they'd been when the game had initially started.

He winced as Shai accidentally sent a ball slamming into some student's face, and was taken out of the game along with the dude she had nailed right between the eyes, who was very loudly claiming that his nose was broken.

Face-shots were not tolerated in the game, deliberate or not.

In the confusion, two other kids on Hosuh's side were hit in their distraction, leaving the arena while scowling at the other team.

Shit. 

It was just him and Ivu left.

The other team had three kids.

A short guy with long arms, someone with big blue-framed glasses, and...

Hosuh sighed inwardly upon spotting Stephen, crowned with purple, dark swagger in his steps, and a signature smirk gracing his features.

This wasn't going to be easy. 

"We go after the dude with glasses first," came Ivu's urgent hiss.

Hosuh nodded, catching the ball she tossed him. Hosuh aimed for the short guy instead, and drew back his arm. Gripping the ball tightly, he sent it flying through the air, snapping his wrist in the opposite direction just before it left his fingers. The ball changed course, hitting the dude with glasses right in the knee. The kid went down, just as Ivu's ball hurtled out of nowhere, flying where his chest had previously been, and continued on to plough into the short guy's shoulder, with enough force to send him staggering back into the wall.

Hosuh met Ivu's wild grin with his own; they, two of the least athletic people in the class, had just pulled the perfect unintentional double-kill. Ivu, face still glowing from their comeback, turned to scoop up a ball that lay behind her.

And got slammed in the back by a vaguely-spherical flash of color.

Her hair swayed from the impact, and she stood slowly.

Hosuh turned to see Stephen Delanore smirking like a fiend.

Forcing himself to return a small grin and not back down, Hosuh backpedaled to grab the ball that Ivu had been reaching for. Flipping his bangs out of his face, he could've sworn that a flicker of recognition and surprise lit Stephen's eyes. 

Quicker than Hosuh could follow, Stephen bent for a ball, amethyst strands sweeping down into his dark eyes before he drew back up to his full height.

Hosuh brought his arm back, preparing to launch the ball in Stephen's general direction. He hoped he wouldn't miss and absolutely humiliate himself. The ball accelerated and began flying towards Stephen, and Hosuh nearly didn't manage to register the ball that Stephen had thrown, coming straight for him. Ducking downwards and throwing himself to the side just to evade the ball, Hosuh flailed his arms as he lost his balance and tumbled to the floor.

From his spot on the ground, Hosuh could only watch as the ball he'd thrown flew unwaveringly.

... and hit Stephen Delanore right in the jaw.

Hosuh's eyes widened.

Shit.

This was far worse than missing.

And as Stephen glanced up — a hand rubbing the already-reddening spot on the left side of his face — and looked at Hosuh, a somewhat predatory smirk flashing across his face, Hosuh knew he was a dead man.

**\- time skip -**

Hosuh sighed, shaking his head as he climbed the stairs to the third level. He wasn't sure what Stephen Delanore would have in store for him tomorrow, for hitting him in the face with a dodgeball. And he didn't want to know. 

But for now, Hosuh decided, he would focus on one thing and one thing only: getting that day's detention class under control.

It was only his first day overseeing detention anyway, it couldn't be that bad.

He glanced at his watch. Five minutes late. Quickening his pace, Hosuh searched the third floor for the classroom he'd be in.

"Classroom 98A, classroom 98A... 98A," Hosuh murmured, tracing the numbers in the air.

He found the class and pushed open the door, taking a step in.

... and almost ran back out.

Hosuh made himself walk to the teacher's desk as calmly as he could, trying and failing to ignore the feeling of Stephen Delanore's gaze following his movements.

Hosuh checked the time again; it had been seven minutes since detention was supposed to have started. And Stephen was the only one there. Weren't there supposed to be more—

"So, what're you here for?" came a lazy drawl, "I don't think you hit me hard enough during gym to warrant a detention class."

Hosuh swung around, surprised, and nearly jumped back upon finding Stephen standing right next to him. 

Trying to ignore how much taller Stephen was, Hosuh replied, "I'm... I'm overseeing detention for this week. The teacher in charge is unable to be here, so I'll be taking the class."

Stephen blinked, "You? I didn't know they let students do this." 

"Apparently, they do. Should— are there supposed to be other students here today?" Hosuh asked, reaching for the attendance sheet he'd collected from the school office before heading up.

"Yeah, the dude whose ass I kicked on Monday," Stephen shrugged offhandedly, "Heard he's unwell and didn't attend school today. Nobody else, I'm pretty sure."

Hosuh dared to glance up to meet Stephen's gaze, and winced, both at the intensity of Stephen's stare and at the bruise along his — very defined — jawline.

Stephen, following Hosuh's eyes, brushed a hand against the mess of reddish blue and leaned forward, "You hit surprisingly hard," he took a step closer, "Aren't contradictory stereotypes just so... intriguing?"

Hosuh stepped back, eyes shuttering and darting away, trying to rest anywhere but Stephen Delanore's face, which was a little too close for comfort.

Stephen smirked a little and turned away, walking back to his desk before calling over his shoulder, "By the way, do you think you'd survive helping me with my homework? It's Chemistry, which we both take, and you owe me one anyway."

Hosuh shrugged, surprised and a little flattered that Stephen remembered him despite being asleep half the time in class, and grabbed his pencilcase from his bag before heading over. He pulled up a chair beside Stephen and glanced over at the sector's biggest gang leader — currently struggling to get an assignment out of his bag.

Stephen laid the worksheet on the table, giving Hosuh a slanted smile; it was a little better than his usual cutting smirk.

Hosuh took out a pen, silently realizing that Stephen Delanore had unfairly mesmerizing hazel eyes, and turned his focus to the Chem assignment, "Let's get started."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody!! New chapter out; sorry I couldn't update sooner, though.  
What did you guys think of this chapter? The pressure's starting, and they'll be meeting in detention real soon. Do y'all wanna see Ivu and Shai in more chapters? I'll try my best to upload the next chapter by Monday or something!


	7. Concentration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Yayy!!  
(alright, sorry, go ahead and read)

**[Tuesday, Week 1]**

Hosuh was studying.

Or at least, he was _supposed_ to be studying.

Then again, he figured, glancing around his room, it wasn't like anybody could criticize him. He'd already finished all the assignments and essays he had. Some of them were only due in two weeks.

Hosuh glanced down at his History textbooks and sighed. He hated the humanities subjects. And sometimes humanity sucked too. 

Shaking his head, Hosuh shoved his History material in his bag. There was no way he was going to be able to memorize facts about another one of the world's biggest catfights.

He needed to _concentrate_.

Hosuh pulled out a random folder from the shelf mounted on the wall above his desk, and flipped it open.

The periodic table of elements.

Sure, he thought, grabbing his Chemistry notebook from the shelf too.

This week they'd had a lab session, and one in class. Stephen had shown up to both the classes, which Hosuh figured was a pretty rare occurrence. He picked up a pencil, ready to start making notes, and laughed, remembering what a mess that week's practical experiments had been. Somebody had created a small explosion which had involved a lit match, wrongly-mixed chemicals, and a very bad idea.

And then there had been the whole issue of a certain Stephen Delanore using a handheld lighter on quite a few things. He'd exploded the ink cartridge of his pen all over the ground while the unsuspecting teacher had been going through the lesson material, and burned half a page of his assignment while Hosuh had sat beside him, not sure whether to laugh or to run to the other end of the lab. 

For fun, Stephen had insisted, that insufferably persuasive smirk tugging at his lips. Hosuh hadn't been scared enough of the fire to tell Stephen to stop, and had decided to only alert the teacher if his lab partner suddenly went up in flames. Hosuh cracked a small smile, remembering how the entire class had been able to smell the burning. The only reason Stephen had gotten away with it was because Hosuh had quickly lied through his teeth, suggesting to the teacher that the junior class in the other lab was working with flammable gases.

The grateful -- maybe even slightly tentative -- smile Stephen had shot over to Hosuh before quickly turning away again had continuously popped up in Hosuh's mind for the rest of the day.

Along with that crown of purple hair that kept flopping over Stephen's face every time he had leaned down to write something. And sometimes--

The door opened, and in bounced Annabelle, "Oh, look you're actually alive. Mom says-- who's that?"

Hosuh's head snapped up to meet his sister's curious gaze, "Who's who?"

Annabelle only pointed down at his chemistry notebook and raised an eyebrow. 

Hosuh looked down to find the likeness of Stephen Delanore smirking back up at him. 

Dang it.

"Anyway," Ann continued offhandedly, "if you're not into whoever that guy is, can you give me his number? Unless he's not actually as hot as you drew him."

"Yes he i--" the words were out of Hosuh's mouth before he could stop them, "Why're you even here?"

Ann grinned triumphantly, "I guess I won't be getting his number, since someone else is already so enamored with him. Anyhow, Mom says dinner will be done in half an hour, so come down in time once you're done with your studying. Or fantasizing, or whatever."

Lifting a mischievous eyebrow in a smirk, Ann laughed raucously as she darted out of the room quicker than Hosuh could yell at her. By the time Hosuh had stood, she was already halfway downstairs, no doubt ready to tell their mom all about Hosuh's new interest.

Hosuh sighed. 

He was lucky to have supportive parents, who loved him, even if they didn't quite understand. He'd never fault them for trying their best.

He settled back down at his desk again, but found himself drawn in by the sketch of Stephen that he'd somehow done without quite noticing. It was a study in ink and lead, sweeping strokes forming a side profile of Stephen. Unconsciously, Hosuh had drawn the right side of Stephen's face, the side he saw most often in class due to their seating arrangement, when Stephen would fall asleep, or stare into space, or occasionally take notes.

Hosuh studied the angular planes of Stephen's features, quickly deciding that his sketch had been accurate enough to warrant his signature, something he usually only put on final copies of art pieces for competitions, where a signature was necessary to determine authenticity.

Hosuh swept his elegantly compact signature just below where the strong lines of Stephen's throat faded off into blank white, enraptured by the drawing before he knew what was going on. Dark graphite eyes peeked out from strands of ink that had flopped over Stephen's forehead. The linework of a regal nose directed Hosuh's eyes to Stephen's taunting lips, a smirk of dark arrogance suspended in a single moment.

Hosuh, still unable -- or just unwilling -- to drag his gaze away, carefully tore the page out of his Chemistry notebook, before tucking it gently into the back of his art folder. He couldn't risk Stephen accidentally seeing it in class, but he wanted to keep it with him when he went to school. That sounded a little creepy, but Hosuh was also silently hoping that one day he'd find the confidence or just the right reason to give the drawing to Stephen.

Hosuh breathed out. Now he just had to be different from every character in fanfics he read, and _not_ drop his entire art file in front of Stephen ever. 

Easy enough, he figured, as he pulled open the back of his art file, to glance at the sketch one last--

The door opened, "Oh my gods, you _are_ fantasizing!" came Ann's voice, muffled by the hands she'd cupped over her mouth.

Hosuh shut his file, sighing, "Shut up, Ann."

Ann pretended to stagger against the door, "Ow, oof. So hurtful. I might be bleeding."

She dragged Hosuh to his feet, pulling him up out of the study and down the spirals of marble stairs to the dining room, excitedly bubbling, "So who is the mysterious guy? Anybody smart? Actually, he looks like a goth jock. Is he a goth jock? You like him, don't you?"

Hosuh, who hadn't been paying much attention till then, paused. 

He didn't like people very often. It wasn't as if he'd be accepted anyway. Academics were his biggest goals.

No, he told himself, he didn't like Stephen. 

Stephen was just charming, and inherently intriguing, but Hosuh didn't like him. Not in that way. Not in that scary, beautiful, world-sweeping, time-slanting way. 

A stubborn question popped into Hosuh's head unbidden, "If he's _so_ charming and intriguing, then why does the _rest_ of the school seem to find Stephen Delanore -- the sector's biggest gang leader -- scary, sullen, and unapproachable?"

Hosuh shook his head, shoving the question to the back of his mind. Academics were his biggest priority. Exam questions wouldn't change or dip and swirl confusingly; they weren't mesmerizing, weren't dangerously tempting, weren't so near-tangibly beautiful.

The ultimatum was to either like Stephen Delanore, or keep focusing on his reputation as the school's valedictorian.

To either step out into a strange, cold void of spinning blades and blazing pockets of vacuum, or stay hidden safely away behind the shield he'd always used.

Hosuh lifted his chin higher. He didn't like Stephen Delanore, and it was final.

Tumbling back into reality, Hosuh found himself and Ann sitting at the ornately carved dining table, a study in deep mahogany, inlaid with streaks of shimmering opal and resin. Luckily for him, it seemed that Ann was still prattling on, and hadn't taken notice of his moment of internal absence.

Her quick eyes snapped up to glance at him, eyebrows raised, "So, are you gonna continue spacing out over the guy, or can we actually hold a conversation yet?"

Spoke too soon.

Hosuh groaned, and turned away, embarrassed. 

He could hear the smirk in Ann's voice as she teased, "Guess someone's still not over his new crush."

"Shut up about Stephen." As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Hosuh knew it was a mistake.

He could only groan as Ann squealed loudly, triumphant at finally getting a name, "So the mystery boy's a Stephen!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for being so supportive and patient! I'm so glad I could get a new chapter out again; hopefully y'all don't mind my writing. Constructive criticism is always welcome, please tell me if there's anything I can improve on.  
Also, small announcement:  
I will be going away next week, so there will be no updates from this Friday till next Sunday. I'm super super sorry about it, but I'll get right back to uploading afterwards. I'll be going with my family to Japan for a week, and I'm honestly really excited.  
Anyways, sorry that I won't be uploading next week, but I'll try to get some chapters out to you guys before I leave. The next one will probably be out on Thursday; it's pretty long. Thanks again for sticking around, though!!


	8. Disquiet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter out! I know I said I would update on Thursday, and I’m really sorry it’s late!

**[Tuesday, Week 1]**

  
The music pounded, people brushing up against each other -- usually not on accident -- in the crowded nightclub.

  
From where he reclined at the bar with his guys, Stephen Delanore surveyed the surroundings. It was a high-end type of place, which meant more expensive clothes and bags, but the lack of physical inhibition remained the same. A writhing mass of people covered the dancefloor, many far closer to each other than would be tolerated anywhere else.

  
Ignoring yet another group of girls who shot him and his group giggling looks of appraisal, Stephen glanced over at the rest of the guys.

  
Shifting to lean against Cas, a well-built guy with fair skin and hair, Stephen drawled slowly, "So crowded in here tonight."

  
Cas' slight Scottish accent came back, "Seems like everybody wants to be out and about this evening. I'm not complaining. Besides," he glanced over at a guy striding past in a bomber jacket and ripped jeans, "the view's not bad from here."

  
Jay shot them a knowing smirk from where he sat on Stephen's other side, leaning back against the bar, "Indeed, boys. Indeed."

  
Daniel, appearing from somewhere in the throng of shifting crowds, hopped up between Stephen and Cas, ordering a drink from the bartender, "The rest of them started complaining about school, I decided to leave before they ruined my mood."

  
Stephen sat up to smirk at the bartender who'd taken Dan's order, "Sorry, he's not turning nineteen till next year, he'll have a capri sun."

  
Dan rolled his eyes, running a hand through his emerald hair, "Anyway, apparently they all suck at math, which we found out when Lin had trouble figuring out what the two drinks he slammed at once cost. And then they got to talking about other stuff like science, which -- from what I gathered -- they can't seem to figure out either."

  
Stephen, whose eyes had been caught by a petite young lady whose dove-silver locks brushed her shoulder blades in soft curls, murmured absently, "Hosuh's good at science."

  
Jay facepalmed, "Not that little tendril of fluff you were so distracted with the other day. What are you hoping he'll do, give us all personal lessons?"

  
Cas leaned in, intrigued, "This one I _have_ to hear about."

  
Jay grinned like a fiend, pulling a cigarette and lighter from the inner pocket of his leather jacket, "Dan's the one who's actually seen the kid."

  
Stephen shot a glare at Jay, who only gave a slightly-unhinged smile, ether-sweet smoke curling from his lips.

  
"... best academic results in the entire school, and they're deskmates, and Stephen absolutely could not stop talking about him," Daniel was explaining to Cas.

"Really? Ever-evasive Stephen Delanore showing interest in somebody?" Cas laughed, lifting his glass to his lips.

  
"Mmhmm," Jay cut in, cigarette grasped between two fingers, "you should have heard him. The poor boy couldn't stop. Just on and on, the art and the silver hair and the ponytail."

  
Dan turned to Stephen, whose face was growing increasingly warm, " Y'know, you should ask him to tutor the guys. They need the help, and you need an excuse to talk to him, after all."

  
"You could ask him to help you too," Cas nodded towards Stephen, "so that your parents would leave you alone about your grades and all."

  
Jay smirked and feigned coughing into his fist, "Personal lessons might be about to get _real_ personal, if you catch my drift."

Stephen nearly choked, elbowing Jay in the ribs as Cas and Dan laughed good-naturedly.

  
"It's true that our guys need help, you know? Forget Jay's bullshit and just ask the kid. You never know, Stephen," Dan gave him a reassuring smile before slipping away, probably to tame the rest of their group, who were now pushing ice cubes around the bar countertop.

  
Cas nudged Stephen, "For all the crap we talk, I do hope you get to befriend him, he sounds cool."

Jay exhaled more smoke, "Yeah, sure. Befriend him. Or, you know, be-boyfriend him."

  
Stephen lifted his glass to his lips, "You know you're an asshole, sometimes, Jay?"

  
A low chuckle accompanied the responding puff of smoke, "Always."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!!  
As I mentioned in last chapter’s notes, I’ll be going to Japan for a week, so there’ll be no updates till next Sunday; sorry that you guys will have to wait...  
Still, hope y’all enjoyed this chapter? As always, any feedback is welcome.  
See you guys next week, I guess.
> 
> Edit: Just re-uploaded this chapter because of a small issue with the alignment of the text. Not sure if people get notifications for this, though.


	9. Acquiescence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everybody! I'm finally back!  
Enjoy the chapter!

**Trigger Warning:  
**Hurtful slurs, Bullying

Please don't read this chapter if you have had sensitive experiences with the above.

**[Wednesday, Week 1]**

School had ended. For most people. 

But Hosuh had "detention" again. He wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing.

As he made his way down the corridor, Hosuh wondered if Stephen would ask for help with Science like he had the other day. 

Unlike the day before, it wouldn't just be Stephen and himself; there would be another student in the detention class, and Hosuh, checking his watch again, was about ten minutes early.

Hosuh pushed open the door of classroom 98A, and was met by the sight of Stephen Delanore sitting at the desk right in the middle of the room, feet propped up on the table.

A hand raised in greeting, Stephen swept himself to his feet, murmuring a low drawl, "You again, Hosuh Leblanc."

"Yeah, " Hosuh replied, surprised and somewhat wary that Stephen knew his name, "it's me."

Stephen, now perching on the edge of his desk, waved away Hosuh's slightly-questioning glance, "Heard about you from somebody. It's hard not to, what with your exceptional grades and all. Dan filled me in; I take it you two have met."

Hosuh tried to hide his sudden apprehension. If Stephen had heard about him from someone else, would he also have been told the rumors passing through school about Hosuh's sexuality? The rumors were true, and Hosuh didn't deny them, but they were highly discriminatory and most people had a _very_ adverse reaction to them. 

If someone prone to violence like Stephen had heard of them... Hosuh gripped the edge of the teacher's desk.

Trying to keep his voice light, Hosuh looked levelly at Stephen, "Dan? Green hair? We've met. What've you heard? Good things, I hope."

Stephen nodded, hand fluttering, "Heard everything there is to hear. Not much gets around the school without me knowing about it."

Stephen caught Hosuh's gaze pointedly, the subtle signal telling Hosuh that Stephen Delanore had indeed heard of certain unsavory rumors. 

Hosuh's grip on the teacher's desk tightened, unwanted memories threatening to materialize fully, "And is it alright for me to come over there, or should I want to keep this desk between myself and your fists?"

A flash of what looked like hurt tugged momentarily at those angular features, before Stephen glanced down, effectively hiding whatever stray emotions had slipped out, "No, it's fine. I don't-- I'm not like that. I wouldn't dream of hurting anyone for who they were."

Stephen glanced up, and even the suddenness of his drop in demeanor couldn't rival how unexpected the sincerity Hosuh found in those strange, hazel eyes was. 

Hosuh found himself taking a step forward, towards that beacon of purple, even as he asked again, still slightly wary, "You sure? I just-- really?"

Stephen, giving a slight smile, tugged his phone from his pocket, unlocked it, and held it out to face Hosuh, "Wouldn't oppress anyone like me. See for yourself."

Hosuh inched forwards, very aware of the just-about three yards between him and Stephen. Stephen had held the phone for him in such a way that Hosuh wouldn't have to get closer and take the phone directly from his hand, which Hosuh really appre--

All of Hosuh's thought processes came screeching to a stop when he saw the wallpaper Stephen had set. It was Stephen himself, and his friend they'd been discussing, Daniel. Stephen's face was lit with a smile that put the stars themselves to shame, eyes shining with happiness far more genuine than anything Hosuh had ever seen in his countless smirks. And in his hands, stretched out full and proud, was a bi flag. Next to Stephen, Daniel was also carrying a flag for the pan community.

Hosuh, barely registering the distance between them that he had closed, reached out, almost brushing his fingers against the screen, and glanced up.

He didn't even have the coherence to be nervous upon finding himself barely a foot from Stephen Delanore, as he breathed a question, eyes wide and now completely unafraid, "You too?"

The small smile that had faded from Stephen's lips made a glowing return. It bloomed to life, a soft, reassuring twin to the one in the wallpaper, "Yeah. Me too."

Just as Hosuh was drifting back into his usual state of mind, and slowly registering that there were other things in the universe than the boy with a crown of purple and a beautiful smile, the door to the classroom opened. 

Hosuh sprang away from Stephen, head whipping towards the door. 

A blond guy walked in, looking more than a little annoyed at having to stay back for half an hour's worth of detention. Hosuh stepped back, recognizing him; it was the guy Stephen had fought with on Monday.

Stephen, smile now gone, shoved his phone back in his pocket and shot the guy a contemptuous smirk from his perch on the corner of his desk.

Hosuh approached slowly, not sure what to expect, "Hey, so just to check, you were absent from school yesterday, but you still have after-school detention for the rest of the week."

The blond gave a derisive snort, "Miss me with that admin crap; what, are you taking this detention class or something?"

Hosuh frowned slightly, trying not to be offended, "Actually, I am. I'm standing in for Miss Inesca, who had something urgent come up overseas."

"What, that quirky bitch?" the guy scoffed, slinging his bag down on an empty chair, "She fucking played you. Anyone who teaches the joke of a subject that the school calls 'art' has more free time than some homeless ass."

Hosuh exhaled, growing increasingly impatient, "I'm sure Miss Inesca has her reasons for absence, just like you did yesterday. Maybe you could take a seat; there's just over fifteen minutes of detention left."

Just as Hosuh turned to walk away, offended at having his favorite teacher and subject insulted, he got caught by the shoulder and spun around to face the blond guy again, "What, are you trying to say that my absence yesterday was bullshit?" 

Suddenly, though, the guy's eyes widened slightly, and he shoved Hosuh away before backing up, "Hold up, you're that little queer that everybody talks about. Get _away_ from me, you predator."

Hosuh stumbled backwards from the force, eyes already filling, old memories shredding their way to the front of his mind, his hands clenching, closing on emptiness. 

"I... I don't really appreciate what you--"

Hosuh was cut off when the guy sneered, face twisting with scorn, "Then what? What do you appreciate? The body of every guy in the school? You must be having a field day, seeing all those unsuspecting people walking around and minding their own business, you fucking sick thing."

Hosuh vaguely registered the tears that rushed to his eyes, threatening to spill, vaguely registered the numbness in his fingers, vaguely registered Stephen moving to stand between him and the-- wait, Stephen?

"Hey, back off him. That was uncalled for; you were the one who grabbed him first," Stephen warned, sweeping an arm back to keep Hosuh behind him.

"Oh, so this is how it works? He opens his legs and you defend him at school? Are you a fag too, then? What a pretty pair of sinners. I hope you know that you're both gonna go to He--"

Stephen punched him in the face.

Retaliating with a growl, the blond sent a punch at Stephen's ribs that Stephen barely managed to dart away from.

The two boys tangled in a cruel mockery of a dance, kicking and punching, and blocking and dodging, their snarls ringing in Hosuh's ears. Chairs and desks were jumped over, knocked down, and stood on top of.

Stephen, landing one final hit, pinned the blond face-first against a wall.

He dug his fingers into the back of the blond's neck, a cold whisper hissing from his lips, "That's the second time I've beaten you in a fight. Leave me and my people alone. It doesn't matter what my sexuality is, because I'll always be better than you, but for the record, I'm bi, not gay. Get out of my sight, class is dismissed."

Stephen released him, and as the guy scrambled to get his bag and leave, thoroughly embarrassed, Hosuh realized, through his shakenness, that detention had indeed ended five minutes prior.

When Stephen turned to face him, half-unhinged and absolutely beautiful, Hosuh nearly gasped through his tears. Worry flashed over Stephen's face, and he rushed over, crossing the room in a few quick strides. 

Stephen slowed as he reached Hosuh -- who was now sitting on the teacher's desk -- and held out his hands in a soothing gesture, "Hey, are you alright? Sorry it got violent there."

Hosuh glanced up through his lashes, silver eyes meeting hazel, and a couple of tears of relief escaped his eyes.

Stephen, surprised to find tears slipping down that face of ivory, reached out slowly to wipe them away. He could understand how Hosuh felt, though, the words that guy had spoken were far more cutting than what most people would say in disapproval. 

He pushed a few stray locks of silver from Hosuh's face, "It's okay, he's gone now. He only said those things because he knew they would hurt you the most," Stephen murmured gently, before adding, in an attempt to make Hosuh laugh, " Y'know, it's kinda ironic. We got sent to detention for fighting, but then the first day him and I are both in detention together, we fight."

Stephen couldn't stop a grin from escaping when Hosuh huffed a small laugh, delicate frame straightening up to give him a smile, albeit a slightly tearful one.

Hosuh's smile widened a little, taking on a bit of a sarcastic quality, "It would seem I'm in your debt again."

Stephen's trademark smirk returned, shifting his features like Hosuh was so used to seeing, as he approached and sat beside Hosuh on the teacher's desk, "It would seem so."

Hosuh glanced down, suddenly shy, "What can I do?"

Stephen hummed, a thoughtful expression on his face, before replying, "There's one favor I want," he looked over at Hosuh, who was listening silently, "could you tutor my guys in math and science?"

Stephen saw Hosuh realize just who the "guys" he'd be tutoring were, and figured Hosuh would reject him. Or get scared.

He certainly didn't expect the next words that came out of that petite boy's mouth, a small smile audible in the sentence, "If they're people like you, I don't see why not."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone for putting up with my absence!! You guys are amazing! Japan was fun, but it's great to be back to writing again. What did you guys think of today's update? Feedback's always chill.  
Next chapter, Hosuh's gonna meet a couple of the guys (including Jay Ko) so hopefully I can get the chapter out by Thursday or something.


	10. Acquaintance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter out!! Who's ready to see Hosuh meet our favorite sociopath for the first time?
> 
> By the way, in this chapter, there will be POV switches. Although the story is written in third-person, POV switches mean that I'm switching the focus to another character, usually someone who is in a different room. POV switches don't work like time skips, the point in time stays the same, but it's just a different character, if that makes sense.
> 
> (okay sorry for taking your time)

**[Saturday, Week 1]**

Hosuh shoved a couple of textbooks into his messenger bag while checking the time; he didn't want to be late.

2:37pm.

Hosuh shrugged. He had about twenty minutes until he had to head to the address Stephen had given him, to tutor some of Stephen's friends. Under most circumstances, Hosuh would've been more than a little suspicious, but -- for some reason -- he trusted Stephen Delanore.

The address he'd been given was one barely a couple streets down from his own house, located in a very affluent neighbourhood, and Hosuh didn't expect there to be trouble in broad daylight right in the middle of one of the most well-to-do areas of town.

Hosuh finished packing his "teaching" materials, and found himself subconsciously stopping in front of the full-length mirror across from his desk, retying his ponytail and brushing at his long bangs. 

He wasn't quite sure what to expect, Hosuh admitted to himself as he tugged a few strands of hair down to frame his face, but Stephen had assured him that the guys he would be tutoring weren't anyone to be afraid of. 

They were good people, Stephen had promised. A little loud sometimes, but they meant well.

After all, Hosuh told himself, his reflection smiling slightly, they had fully accepted Stephen and Dan for who they were. He didn't need to worry. He'd go over, study with some guys his age for two hours, and return home.

Feeling far more confident already, Hosuh pushed open his bedroom door, about to head downstairs. He grinned softly, a thought running through his mind: I've got this.

Hosuh slung on his bag and stepped out.

... before promptly rushing back in to grab his forgotten pencil case, swearing under his breath.

\- time skip -

Stephen leaned back in his chair, propping his feet up against his family's dining table, glancing up from his phone over at Dan and Lin, who would be being tutored by Hosuh that day.

Jay had initially wanted to come in for the first "class", curious about Hosuh. According to him, Stephen had "gotta at least let me _see_ what the boy's like". But Stephen didn't particularly feel like scaring away the fine-boned, silver-wrought boy, especially not on the first day. They had compromised, and Jay -- who was currently chilling upstairs, but would probably make an appearance later -- was over to hang out with Stephen while Dan and Lin, who were decidedly less... unnerving, had their "lessons".

"You guys good? Hosuh should be here in a minute or so... hey, and be nice to the kid, okay?" Stephen reminded.

Dan grinned, "Yeah, yeah, Stephen. We won't ruin your chances at a date by scaring the kid away. Besides, I'm pretty sure you'll do that yourself, anyways."

Lin hid a smirk, humor flashing in his tempestuous eyes. He was lithe and fairly tall, with hair as dark as his dancing eyes of onyx. He wasn't so much soft-spoken as rare-spoken, and was used to finishing -- and winning -- fights that the other guys had started with strangers, with the same vicious, quick grace that his movements always emanated.

"Shut up, _Daniel_," Stephen muttered offhandedly, phone screen already having drawn his attention.

Dan had opened his mouth, ready to shoot something back, when the sound of chiming filled the house, tones and pitches rising and falling. 

Stephen rolled his eyes, stood, and headed for the door, "Stupid fancy-ass doorbell."

He undid the digital locking mechanism on the lavish rosewood doors, tugging them open by the ornate metal handles, to find a tentatively smiling Hosuh waiting outside, hands loosely gripping the strap of a tastefully simple leather messenger bag. Stephen almost burst out into a smile upon seeing Hosuh, who seemed positively elfin in size when juxtaposed against the towering doorway of the house. 

Hosuh raised a pale hand in greeting, "Hey, sorry I'm a little late. I got distracted watching a squirrel..." a light blush filled the soft curves of his face and throat, as his gaze flicked downwards, a hand moving to brush strands of silver behind his ear.

Stephen almost reached out for him. To see if his hands, his skin, his hair were really as soft, as starlit as they seemed.

"Nah, you're good. C'mon in, they're waiting for you," Stephen forced himself to keep his hands relaxed at his sides, leaning slightly against the doors to allow Hosuh to pass.

Hosuh stepped into the foyer and left his sneakers on the wood-and-metal shoe rack just by the entrance. Hosuh's petite, sock-covered feet swept him across the marble flooring with a dancer's grace, and Stephen had to remind himself not to stare at the slender-built boy.

Stephen shook his head to clear his mind, speeding up to lead the way farther into the house, "They're just over this way."

As he and Stephen emerged into what looked like a dining room, which had a dinner table huge enough to hold any studying materials Hosuh might have brought, Hosuh was surprised to see a messy, green-haired guy laughing loudly, a huge difference from the Daniel who had led Hosuh away from the fight on the first day of school. 

Stephen rolled his eyes, "So you know Dan," he jerked his head at Daniel before waving a hand towards a tall, raven-eyed boy, "And that's Lin. Yes, it's a girl's name. No, he's not actually as smart as he looks. Yes, he's about to break my neck for those two comments. Go ahead and say hi."

Dan piped up from the far end of the table, "Smart desk partner art kid boy! We've heard so much about you!" he nudged Lin, who grinned fiendishly at Stephen.

Hosuh, slightly surprised at Dan's statement, glanced at Stephen out of the corner of his eye and spotted a telltale blush creeping its way up the base of Stephen's throat. Stephen had talked about him?

But there was no time to think about it as Stephen raked a hand through his purple hair -- messing it up in a way that made Hosuh's heart jump to his throat -- and joked, "Do you think you can survive them for a couple hours? I have another friend upstairs, who's _probably_ gonna come down and terrorize you later, like it or not, so get used to their rowdiness."

Hosuh gave a small laugh that made Stephen forget words for a moment, so he only slashed his friends a quick grin and gave Hosuh what he hoped was a friendly smile before hurrying his way out of the dining room and up the stairs to his room.

Hosuh watched Stephen leave for a moment longer than necessary before turning to Dan and Lin, and taking a seat across them.

Hosuh took out a textbook, "So today I thought we could cover some math..."

\- time skip - 

Jay groaned and flopped backwards to lie face-up on the floor of Stephen's room, "Dude, you're literally hopeless. You have to stop gay panicking and actually get the boy to like you back."

Stephen, who'd just been talking about what had happened earlier when Hosuh had arrived more than he had realized, only spun on his desk chair indignantly, "I've _told_ you; I don't like him."

The sassy blond only drawled, "Didn't your parents ever teach you that lying is a bad habit?"

Stephen paused his spinning, "Shut up."

"Whatever, man. Anyway," Jay stood up and stretched, "I'm gonna head down and see what he looks like. I'm curious."

Stephen frowned, "Don't bother them, they're studying."

"He'll be leaving in an hour. If I don't go down soon, I won't get to see him later. _Besides_, since you're _so_ sure you don't like the boy, I want to see if he's pretty."

"Jerk."

Jay smirked, and stepped out the bedroom door, "That's what I thought."

Then, the door shut, and left Stephen alone with his confusing thoughts. He continued spinning in his chair.

\- POV switch -

Hosuh pointed at a page of the textbook that lay open in front of a confused Lin, "So really, it's just a standard, high school level algebra question."

Lin shook his head, uncomprehending, "How do you understand it? It's math..."

Hosuh shrugged, once again patiently explaining the problem, "You just have to break up the two equations, then it's easier to understand."

Lin gaped, "But it's math."

Hosuh was about to demonstrate the solution for Lin, when a tall, messy blond entered, a drinking bottle of suspiciously red liquid gripped in his left hand. Dan, who had been languishing silently over a Math problem of his own, straightened up to grin at the new arrival, who had prowled his way over to Lin. 

The blond set down the bottle beside Lin and drawled, "Brought Lin his juice. Gets a little cranky without his sugar. You must be Hosuh, my name's Jay. I'm the de facto mom around here. Clearly." Jay nodded towards the bottle of juice and held out a hand.

Hosuh tentatively shook Jay's hand, not sure what to expect.

Dan frowned, "But you call _me _the mom."

Jay waved him off, "You're more like an auntie."

Hosuh couldn't stop a soft laugh from slipping out as Dan burst into a series of offended green sounds. This Jay guy wasn't bad.

As if on cue, Jay's eyes locked onto Hosuh, homing in fully with a calculated gaze, before raising an eyebrow more to himself than to anyone else, "Petite and delicate... Stephen wasn't lying."

Before Hosuh could fully comprehend what Jay had said, the tall boy was halfway out the dining room.

Jay threw them an offhanded wave over his shoulder, and Hosuh could've sworn he heard the blond murmur, "He said you were pretty too."

\- POV switch -

Stephen was traversing his way through the jungle of his mind. 

He'd initially written Hosuh off as a fleeting crush at most, but he wasn't so sure now. He'd certainly never tried this hard with any of his crushes before. 

Part of him wanted to just leave his feelings alone and hope they would go away and never cause him trouble again. But another part of him couldn't stop wondering what it'd be like to laugh beside the silver-kissed boy, to look into his sky-filled eyes and run a hand through his star-swept hair.

"This is bullshit," Stephen groaned and leaned back in his desk chair, flinging an arm over his face.

The door opened, "What's bullshit? You lying to yourself about your feelings?"

"Not now, Jay, you ass," Stephen rolled his eyes, but took his arm away from his face.

"You have good taste, at least, I'll give you that much, even if you are a hopeless romantic," Jay taunted, sitting on Stephen's desk.

Stephen only flipped him off.

"I'm not hitting on your crush, stop worrying, jeez..." Jay laughed, and Stephen joined in, strange feelings and confusing thoughts and all.

\- time skip -

Hosuh slipped the last of his textbooks into his bag, and glanced up at the two boys, "Sorry we didn't manage to go through much today..."

Dan waved him off, grinning, "Nah, it was great. Thanks for the help."

Lin, frowning slightly, made his way over to Hosuh and murmured, unable to meet his gaze, "I... I can't pay you for the lessons this month, but I'm... I promise I'll get the money. Soon."

It took Hosuh a moment to understand before his eyes widened and he shook his head hurriedly, "No, no, I'm not collecting money. It's not-- I wouldn't-- You don't have to pay me. There's no charge."

Lin looked down at him, dark eyes unsure, and Hosuh quickly laid a gentle hand on the taller boy's wrist, "Really. It's not pity. I wouldn't dream of charging a cent."

Lin's eyes flooded with relief, and his otherwise-solemn features shifted into a grateful smile, which Hosuh returned. Hosuh hadn't even thought of collecting money until that moment, and he wasn't going to. 

Dan shot Hosuh a smile behind Lin's back, nodding his thanks on behalf of his friend. 

"Ready to go?" Hosuh turned to find Stephen leaning expectantly against the entrance to the dining room, a purple hoodie now over the black shirt he'd been wearing previously.

Hosuh nodded assent, bidding Daniel and Lin a quick goodbye, before gathering his things and joining Stephen at the door.

"I hope Jay didn't scare you off, it'd be a shame to lose our tutor so soon," Stephen sent over a quick smirk that sent Hosuh's heart quickening.

"Of course not, it was great. Jay's... unusual. But funny," Hosuh added, quickly, wishing that the walk to Stephen's front door wasn't so short -- they were already halfway there.

Stephen made a face in mock offense, "You never say _I'm_ funny; is that favoritism, Hosuh?"

Hosuh couldn't keep a gentle laugh from escaping as Stephen pouted slightly, such a stark difference from his smirk just a few moments ago, "But if I say it to your face, it seems like flattery."

Stephen grinned, "Bold of you to assume I don't love being flattered. Heck, I flatter myself all the time."

And Stephen lost himself staring into those eyes of brushed silver that burst into mirth-filled starshine, soft laughter bubbling from the enchanting boy who now stood by the front door, so seemingly tiny against the rosewood that Stephen wanted to take him in his arms.

Snatching himself back to reality, Stephen released the locking mechanism on the front door, and propped it open with its magnetic doorstop. He turned to Hosuh, who was almost done with his sneakers, and found himself wishing that he could see Hosuh, just for a little bit longer.

"Hey, Hosuh, you want me to walk you home? I can just grab my shoes right now," Stephen suggested, before he lost the courage, "In gratitude for helping my guys?"

Hosuh glanced up, more than a little surprised, and perhaps slightly flustered. He was about to politely refuse when he realized, he wanted to hang out with Stephen more, even if it was only for a short while.

"I... yeah, that would be really nice. Thanks," Hosuh smiled softly up at the purple-haired, purple-clothed gang leader that he had once, somehow, feared.

And that was how Stephen found himself with his wish granted and walking leisurely beside Hosuh, who grew increasingly bubbly as they walked, small hands moving more and more confidently and animatedly as he mentioned the ideas he had for an art project of his that year. 

It was also how Hosuh ended up following alongside Stephen, who was and had become a little more open than he'd initially been when the unlikely duo had first met, running his hands through his purple crown and laughing along with Hosuh's less-than-smooth attempts at humor, smirks now less cutting and more like companionable half-smiles.

Hosuh was almost sad when they reached the front gate of his house, but already looking forward to future tutoring classes with Stephen's friends.

Hosuh turned, his back to the huge wrought-iron gates, to look at Stephen. A moment passed, or maybe it was an hour, as their eyes met and held each other, a soft, invisible, ever-so-tentative bridge between them.

Hosuh finally blinked, nodding towards his house and murmuring, "I have to go in, my family's expecting me. Thanks for today, they treated me really nicely."

Those deep hazel eyes searched his, and Stephen gave a tiny smile, "I guess I'll see you in school on Monday?"

"Yeah..." Hosuh almost turned away before adding, "And thank you for walking me back. I just... it was really sweet of you."

A half smile tugged at the corner of Stephen's lips, as he reached out and tucked a single lock of silver behind Hosuh's ear, "No problem. See you in school, Hosuh Leblanc."

With that, he turned and left, leaving Hosuh wide-eyed in wonder, lips parted in surprise, and staring motionlessly at Stephen's receding figure as he walked away without turning back.

Making it all the way home and shutting the door behind him, Stephen finally allowed the smile he'd been hiding beam out.

Unbeknownst to the silver-touched boy who had sent his heartbeat skyrocketing, Stephen Delanore leaned back against his front door, still half-giddy with ecstasy, and repeated only one sentence to himself over and over.

"He called me sweet."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back on time with the semi-regular uploads!   
In all seriousness, though, I'm pretty proud of this chapter; hope you guys enjoyed it!! As always, it's great to hear what you guys think of the story so far.  
I'll try to get the next chapter to you guys around the start of next week? I've got a bit of stuff to catch up on over the weekend.


	11. Interrogation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody!! Had a good weekend? Here's a new chapter!

**[Monday, Week 2]**

"... can't believe they did that."

Hosuh knew at the back of his mind that Ivu and Shai were talking, but couldn't do anything except vaguely register what they were saying. 

He was... preoccupied, albeit understandably so.

After all, anyone would be confused after having seemingly tamed the ever-wild Stephen Delanore in some measure.

Tamed, to the point of... familiarity? Or was it tenderness?

But Hosuh didn't have the coherence to find the right word to describe it. To describe... to describe _whatever_ had happened between himself and a certain too-charming gang boss over the weekend.

He didn't have attention to spare to notice the shifting crowds around him as he and his two friends made their way down for lunch, certainly not when he couldn't stop thinking about how Stephen -- _Stephen_, of all people -- had reached out to brush a stray tuft of hair into place.

How his heart had raced, seeing those lips, graced by a smirk as ever, murmuring his name. No matter that he'd sworn never to open up to anyone again. No matter that he'd only wanted to focus on studying these past few years. Nothing mattered, not when all he could see and hear were Stephen Delanore with a slanted grin, saying those two words.

_Hosuh Leblanc._

_Hosuh Leblanc._

_Hosuh Le--_

"Hosuh, you still there? Looking a little spacey today; sleep enough last night?" Shai waved a hand in front of his face.

"Yeah, I... yeah. You guys were mentioning...?" Hosuh trailed off, slightly guilty at having ignored his friends.

Ivu gave a sympathetic smile, forgiving as ever, "The term test schedule this year. They changed it."

"Changed it? More like tossed the damn thing out the window and kicked the broken pieces at us," Shai rolled her eyes, before turning to Hosuh, "They brought all the term tests for this year forward by three weeks, and it's gonna be staying like that for basically ever. It's ridiculous."

Hosuh nodded, mind already slipping back to Saturday's happenings, barely having caught what Shai had said.

Ivu groaned, shoving a hand through her ivory hair, "There's practically no time to study anymore, since the tests will now be in either the fifth or sixth week every term, isn't it crazy?"

Hosuh, now completely lost in his thoughts, murmured, "Yeah... Saturday _was_ crazy. He's so unpredictable..."

With speed denoting a predator on the prowl, Shai and Ivu's heads whipped towards Hosuh.

"Saturday? What happened on Saturday?"

"Who is 'he'?"

"Do we know the person?"

Hosuh was pulled out of his contemplative daze by an influx of such questions, and suddenly left under the scrutinizing stare of two -- very curious -- best friends.

"Ahh... it's nothing, guys. Don't worry," Hosuh brushed at the back of his neck, hit by a sudden shyness. It wasn't that Ivu and Shai didn't know about his sexuality; they fully supported him.

And as if on cue, Shai immediately remarked, "It's definitely a new crush. Go on, tell me I'm right."

Hosuh groaned, waving his hands around in mock exasperation, "How do girls always know everything immediately? Ann guessed it too!"

Ivu raised her eyebrows, "Is it anyone we know? Is this mystery person cute?"

Hosuh, plagued by the playful questioning of his friends, made his way hurriedly to the school cafeteria with Ivu and Shai not far behind, still waiting for the -- figurative -- tea.

Hosuh picked a table for them and sat down, "Don't you guys have to go get food or something? There's no rush, I'll tell you guys when you get back; I won't disappear."

With grudging reluctance, Ivu and Shai agreed, and practically sprinted off to join the lunch queue, dying to know what had happened on Saturday.

Hosuh sighed; what had happened on Saturday indeed.

\- flashback -

"See you in school, Hosuh Leblanc."

That sentence. The half-smirk that had accompanied it, and the infinitely tentative featherlight touch, a single strand of silver tucked into place.

How ironic, Hosuh had vaguely thought in his semi-stunned state, that Stephen tidying his hair had been exactly what had just thrown his entire world out of whack.

And indeed, Hosuh Leblanc stood there, leaning against the metal gates behind him, long after Stephen had disappeared down the busy streets, as the clouds above dipped and swirled dizzyingly. He stood, staring at the spot where Stephen Delanore had stood bare minutes ago, a single constant point in the middle of a carousel of shifting strangeness.

And perhaps he'd stood for aeons.

Perhaps Hosuh had stood, half-dazed by his emotions, by the strange boy with a crown of purple, by a love he wouldn't admit.

And perhaps he would have stood there even longer, lost in passing eternities.

But the wrought-iron gates he was still leaning on began to slide open -- the movement bringing Hosuh back to the present -- no doubt having been activated by somebody from inside the house.

Hosuh shifted to stand upright, and made his way up the driveway and into the house. He sighed, pulling out his key to unlock the front door, all traces of daydreams pushed from his mind.

Hosuh stepped in the door.

... to find a grinning Annabelle perched atop the banister of the helical staircase that led from the vast living area to the second level. The velvet curtains of the bay window that overlooked the driveway from the living room were slightly rumpled.

Ann had seen everything. 

Hosuh braced for impact, as the younger sister in question gave an evil smirk and hopped down from the banister, "I take it that 'Tall, Purple, and Handsome' was the secretly-drawn and fantasized-about Stephen?"

"Oh my god, Ann," Hosuh threw a hand over his face and dragged it down.

"You sure he's just a friend, Hosuh?" Ann circled her -- fully-embarrassed -- older brother with quick, dancing steps, "I think his behavior would beg to differ."

Hosuh, a blush now erupting across his pale face, started for his room, taking the stairs two at a time, trying to ignore Ann's raucous laughter as she followed right beside him.

"It's barely been a week of school and he's walking you home already, Hosuh," Ann grinned, barely winded from climbing the stairs, "brushing your hair back and all. Never knew you were such a charmer; I'd congratulate you on finally getting a boyfriend if I weren't worried about the rapid progress you guys are making, if you catch my drift..."

"Shut up!" Hosuh protested, walking as fast as he could to get to his room before his sister.

He reached the door to his room bare seconds before Ann, practically flinging himself inside and locking the door behind him. Hosuh let out a long breath, dropping his messenger bag on his desk and flopping onto his bed.

Hosuh threw an arm over his eyes and tried to ignore Ann's very unbecoming cackling from outside his door; she'd taken to re-enacting what she'd seen from the window. Unperturbed by the fact that she hadn't heard Hosuh's exchange of words with Stephen, Ann was inventing her own lines of highly suggestive and incorrect dialogue.

"Go away, Ann," Hosuh sighed, not bothering to take his arm from his face.

After a couple more minutes of Ann's poorly-scripted, over-dramatized interpretation of what had taken place at the front gate, Hosuh was finally granted some peace and quiet; Ann had probably gotten bored of teasing him and run off.

And so Hosuh was left with naught but his own thoughts. Which weren't very orderly, to be honest.

Although Hosuh was tired from everything that had happened that day, his mind -- as seemed to always be the case these past few days -- drifted its way back to thinking about Stephen Delanore.

Hosuh had planned on focusing on his grades this year, as usual. He knew he'd decided to pay Stephen no mind, and to stay as uninvolved with him as possible at the start of the year. But now... now Hosuh wasn't sure.

Hosuh had thought initially that his feelings for Stephen went no further than intrigue with the mysterious boy. He'd been wrong. So incredibly, unimaginably wrong.

Hosuh shifted onto his front, resting his head on his folded arms.

He couldn't help it. Couldn't help but stare every time Stephen ran a hand through those purple locks, couldn't help but soften and blush when Stephen spoke to him, couldn't help but feel his heart race at the mere mention of Stephen's name.

And oh gods, Hosuh liked him.

Hosuh liked Stephen Delanore.

It hit Hosuh like a bullet train, even as his eyes widened, and his jaw dropped, and he let out a series of fairly undignified high-pitched sounds, much resembling those of a lovestruck elementary schoolgirl. His sock-covered feet kicking back against the mattress repeatedly, Hosuh--

\- flashback interrupted -

A tray slammed down on the table, another following within seconds, and Shai dropped into the seat across Hosuh, still breathing hard from running, "You have to tell us everything. Now."

Hosuh, still collecting his scattered thoughts, dragged his gaze up to look at Ivu, who was seated beside Shai and nodding frantically.

"Well, what do you want to kn--"

"_Who was it?_" Shai and Ivu asked in unison, leaning forwards.

Hosuh groaned inwardly; that had been the one question he'd hoped they wouldn't ask.

Hosuh began speaking before he could back out, "Okay, so you see..."

\- time skip -

"... and yeah, that's what happened," Hosuh finished.

Ivu and Shai only stared back at him in spellbound silence, and Hosuh wondered for a moment if he'd broken his friends.

"Wait, so _you_ like _Stephen Delanore_? The biggest gang boss in the whole sector?" Ivu's eyes were wide in excitement, her voice dropping to a whisper upon mentioning Stephen's name.

"Yeah, keep up with the program, Ivu," Shai replied, before turning to wink at Hosuh, "And I think that, from his actions, the chances of this Stephen liking Hosuh back are pretty dang high."

Hosuh shook his head hurriedly in protest, "Guys, stop. If you keep saying stuff like that, I won't be able to face Stephen or focus in class."

Ivu checked her watch, "Speaking of which, lunch is over. What periods do you guys have next?"

"Geography," came Shai's unenthusiastic answer.

"Chemistry, I... oh," Hosuh replied, pausing slightly when he realized that he would be seeing Stephen in the lesson.

"What, forgot your homework?" Ivu glanced over, concerned.

"No, I just-- Stephen will... you know, be there. We share the subject," Hosuh murmured, not sure if he was glad to get to see Stephen in class, or ready to run home and hide.

Ivu flashed a rare grin at Shai, only mischief in her expression, "You hear that, Shai? _Stephen_ will be there. We should head for class now, just to make sure Hosuh isn't late for his class."

Shai laughed, clapping Hosuh on the shoulder, "I'll gladly suffer a period of Geography if it means you get a chance to see your boyfriend; let's go."

"He's not my boyfr--"

"Shh... Hosuh; that's a minor thing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn, Hosuh's getting teased by everyone; hope you guys enjoyed this chapter? Do y'all want more Ivu and Shai around? Their combined vibe is so chill I actually can't. The story's main conflict plot is in the making, don't worry; you guys will get to see it soon.  
Somebody teach me to keep a sense of propriety when I'm listening to music while writing, because I think this chapter's notes are a lot more informal than my usual stuff but oh well...?


	12. Accord

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a new chapter!! Sorry it's a little late, everyone!  
(Just so nobody gets confused, this chapter continues pretty much right after the last one.)

**[Monday - Week 2]**

After a fairly mortifying walk to the classrooms, filled with equal parts teasing and encouragement from Ivu and Shai — who had been absolutely dead-set on braiding Hosuh's hair before he headed upstairs, Hosuh waved goodbye to his friends and headed over to his classroom for Chemistry. The braid was pretty, but it was definitely different, and Hosuh couldn't help wondering what Stephen would think of it.

Hosuh was earlier than usual, and was a little surprised to find that the classroom lights were already on. Most people were still finishing up their lunch. Still, the teacher was probably just early that day, and Hosuh had a couple questions to seek consultation on, anyway.

Hosuh pushed open the classroom door; he was expecting to see his Chemistry teacher sitting at the teacher's desk, marking papers or something, and perhaps another early student or two.

What he was not expecting, was a particular Stephen Delanore, alone in the classroom, wine-dark hair ruffled as always, and smirking right at Hosuh from his perch on Hosuh's desk.

Stephen lifted a lazy hand and waved.

"Hey there, deskmate," he drawled by way of greeting.

Hosuh's thoughts immediately shot straight to his new hairstyle that day. Crap, did it look weird? Was it too overdone?

But he tried not to acknowledge the sudden wave of alarm he was feeling,  
instead choosing to walk over more calmly than he felt, and leaned against a desk  
just across Stephen, giving a somewhat tentative  
"Hello."

Hosuh studied Stephen's face as subtly as possible; he didn't seem uncomfortable or hesitant, so it was probably safe to assume that Stephen wasn't about to mention what had happened over the weekend.

"Like what you see?" Stephen smirked jokingly, clearly having noticed Hosuh's scrutiny, and sent Hosuh a playful wink.

Hosuh nearly choked.

Fighting a blush that he knew was probably already showing, Hosuh glanced down slightly to hide his shock, barely struggling out, "I just... you're early today."

Stephen laughed, "Surprised? Well, yeah. I was hoping I'd catch you before everybody else brought their noise up here. Besides, you're early too. Managed to miss the lunch crowd?"

All of Hosuh's worried thoughts about his braid vanished; Stephen had come up to class early just to talk to him...? It took Hosuh a moment to register that Stephen had said other words too, and that those other words actually meant something.

"Oh, I mean... I— not really." Hosuh paused for a second before explaining, "My dad knows I don't like dealing with queues and big crowds, because he doesn't either, so he always packs me a rice box and stuff when he makes his own to bring to work."

Stephen quirked a dark eyebrow, "That's actually really nice. Sounds kinda Japanese; you like Asian food?"

Hosuh gave a small chuckle, slightly nervous, before shaking his head, "Um... don't judge, but my family is actually Japanese, it's just that we changed our surnames when we moved to Canada to fit in a little. I think I was in elementary school at that time. It's not a huge secret or anything, but we don't really go around yelling it in people's faces."

"So what was your surname before?"

"Uhh... I _used_ to be 'Hosuh Lee', but my parents chose 'Leblanc' because it almost starts with our old surname. But also because Ann and I have very pale skin, and 'blanc' means 'white' in French," Hosuh gestured towards his face, before showing the fronts and backs of his hands.

Not that Stephen needed any demonstration of Hosuh's practically ivory skin, after all the classes he'd spent paying attention not to the teacher, but to his far-more-intriguing deskmate.

And Stephen would probably have been mortified that he'd almost said the above sentence out loud, if he weren't already curious about something else.

"Who's Ann?" he asked, "Your sister?"

Hosuh scrunched his nose in a way that sent a blush settling along Stephen's cheekbones, "Younger sister. She's a chaotic ball of fire."

Stephen couldn't help laughing, "People always say that about their younger siblings, but I just think it'd be cool to have somebody to bring me food and mirrors."

"I guess Ann's not too bad, I underappreciate her sometimes, but— wait, mirrors?" Hosuh glanced up, a look of confused amusement crossing his gentle features.

"Uhh yeah? Why would I ever not need mirrors to see my own face, Hosuh? Stephen is the most beautiful person on the planet." Stephen joked, pretending to toss his hair.

And perhaps Hosuh should have thought about what he was going to say next, because when he opened his mouth, all that came out was, "That's true."

Oh gods, he really had said that out loud, hadn't he?

Stephen's eyebrows arched as he glanced over at Hosuh, who had a soft blush creeping its way up his slender neck, and a vague look of alarm in his eyes, but was otherwise seemingly undisturbed by what he'd just said.

Undisturbed, unlike Stephen.

Stephen knew he'd be spending the rest of the week wondering what Hosuh had meant by that statement, but decided to instead throw Hosuh a nonchalant — if just slightly self-satisfied — smirk, and drag out his signature drawl, "You think I'm beautiful? Something you need to tell me, Hosuh?"

He leaned towards the shorter boy, thoroughly enjoying himself as the faint alarm on Hosuh's face burst into widened eyes of quicksilver, lips parted by a barely-audible gasp, and the gentlest brush of red across pale cheeks.

And Stephen knew he was probably not supposed to like it so much as Hosuh fumbled for words, struggling to stutter out an explanation, "I just... I do art, like, drawing faces. Among other things. You're kinda— your face is very balanced? The proportions, and—"

"You been paying attention to me, Hosuh Leblanc?" Stephen asked, leaning forwards slightly more.

And oh gods, Hosuh was dead. He was so dead. With Stephen barely six inches from his face, using that tauntingly low voice, his smirk so damned flawless, purple hair nearly brushing dark eyelashes around shifting hazel eyes... Hosuh was in hell and half enjoying it.

But then Stephen sat back up straight, signature smirk gone, replaced by a somewhat embarrassed little smile, as he waved nonchalantly, as if waving the moment away, "I'm just kidding, don't worry about it. I know I'm gorgeous too, Hosuh."

And shit, if some other students and the Chem teacher hadn't just walked in, Hosuh was pretty sure he'd have embarrassed himself all over again and said something along the lines of: "You are."

Stephen hopped off Hosuh's desk, shooting him a small smile as they moved back to their seats and prepared for the lesson.

And Hosuh smiled to himself. Embarrassing moments and new hairstyles aside, he might actually survive these feelings for Stephen.

Still, embarrassing moments and all, nothing could have prepared him for Stephen, who leaned over as the class greeted the teacher. Nothing could have prepared Hosuh for the tonally-ambiguous, slightly-ticklish whisper in his ear just before class started.

"Pretty hair, today, Hosuh."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry this chapter took a while to come out, I'd meant to post it on Friday but uhm I'm probably comparable to an amnesiac in the memory department...?  
Anyway, you guys seemed to really like the past two chapters, which is actually super crazy! I loved reading all your comments, you guys are so sweet!! I honestly started this story as like a tiny project for myself, but you guys seem to like it so much and I kinda want to celebrate... should I make cupcakes or something?  
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I won't go missing without reason for a whole week again. Always great to hear what y'all think!!


	13. Unheard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody!! Me again!  
Enjoy the chapter!
> 
> (Don't worry, your regular schedule of two lovestruck dumbasses will be back again soon. Just wanted to build a little suspense with this chapter.)

**[Week 2]**

It is dark.

And there are no sounds, save for two voices.

The voices — distinctly female — belong to people. The people themselves are conversing, hushed and hurried, though there is no one to hear what they say.

_"You know who it is that we need, right?"_

"I could recognize him in a crowd."

_"Good, because that's what you'll be doing. There's no rush to get him. Not yet. Befriend him; he's not to be harmed. At least, not now. I'll work on my side of the plan."_

"You're sure that he, of all people, is the one we need?"

_"You've seen them together, he's one of the very few pressure points that we can possibly hope to get a response from hitting. I've gotten the info we need, anyway, and they have no idea what I'm up to. They've only seen me a couple times — when I've meant for them to notice me."_

"Fine, I'll scope him out soon. I've tailed him a couple times; know his regular haunts and all."

_"And don't let him know your name. Anonymity's going to be what distinguishes us in the gang circles."_

And with that, hurried footsteps sound, and the darkness is doomed to silence once again. Silence not of calm, but like the silence of a beast, watching and waiting in the shadows.

Waiting, tail swishing silently, for its chance to pounce.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The conflict's starting, anyone excited?  
In all seriousness, sorry that this chapter's so short, I'll post the next one on Monday. Promise.  
But also, thanks for all the comments on the last chapter, you guys!! You all are the sweetest! There were literally so many of you, and it's so amazing to see how much y'all like the story!!   
The story actually managed to get 2000 hits, and I cannot express how proud I am! Like, you guys are amazing, thank you for being so supportive!! I feel like celebrating, what should I do, y'all?  
In the meantime, have fun wondering which animator will emerge next to work undercover and gain someone's trust!!


	14. Author's Note

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, this ain't a chapter! Just a quick AN on how the story's going and my new upload schedule.

Hey everybody !!

So first off, I know I accidentally forgot to upload last week, and ended up going silent for about seven-ish days. Sorry about that; y'all were really nice and thanks for telling me not to worry. I'm hoping that won't happen again, so now my upload schedule will be Mondays and Fridays. I'll try to stick to it, but don't hate me if I forget. I don't really upload on weekends, as a rule of thumb, so if I forget to upload on Friday, the next chapter will just have to come out on the following Monday with a whole page of apologies.

And also, speaking of updates (or lack thereof), I will be going to Korea with my family for a week next Sunday, 1st December. So, um... no chapters for that week. I'm really sorry, especially because I did this earlier with my Japan trip. Just thought I should give a quick heads-up.

Lastly, I'm a little behind schedule. Like many other writers, I write this story in advance. Right now I only have a couple chapters in reserve. I'm not saying I won't continue writing and uploading. I'm just saying, I might take a while. I can only write under very conducive conditions, so that means almost no people around, and practically no background noise. In addition, it doesn't really help that my family is conservative and wouldn't approve of me writing publicly online (they don't even know I like writing), let alone about a same-gender relationship. This means that I can only write when there's nobody around to ask me what the hell I'm doing. It's not the worst thing in the world, but I feel kinda sorry that I can't write as much as I would like to for you guys. As far as I can, I'll stick to the upload schedule. If I run out of chapters in reserve, I'll tell y'all. If that happens, I'll still update, I'm just saying it'll take a while.

So, sorry to like, throw all this at you guys, but yeah. Basically, I'll be uploading on Mondays and Fridays, and I'll be away for a week starting on the 1st of December, and if I don't have enough stuff written in advance, at least you guys will know why. I just thought y'all deserved a bit of an explanation.

Still, thanks for being super supportive, reading the comments you write is honestly one of my biggest sources of motivation! You guys are the best, thanks for sticking around!!


	15. Contemplation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! New chapter!!

**[Thursday, Week 2]**

Nothing, Hosuh supposed, as he dipped his brush in his water container, was really ever more relaxing than doing art. Especially when he had the entire studio to himself.

Technically, school had ended just under an hour ago, but Hosuh had decided to stay back to finish up an art piece he'd been working on. It wasn't actually a project for school, but the students were allowed to stay back after school to use the art room as long as they kept it neat.

So there Hosuh was, enjoying the silence, and bringing a watercolor scene to life.

Hosuh went about adding petals and variation to the field of lavender stalks he'd painted in the foreground. Progressing through the scene, there was a lake just beyond the flower meadow, and a faint mountain range in the distance.

The sun was setting, casting a glowing path of reflected light cutting right through the middle of the lake's shimmering surface. A halo of sugarspun gold encircled the sun, complementing the molten bronze of the dying star, slipping beneath the water's surface to welcome the starlit night.

Already, at the edges of the painting, pink bubblegum skies melted into the violet gown of the evening, and then into a faultlessly infinite night sky, depthless blue verging on black. Endless stars dotted the navy-dark heavens at the edge of the painting, small hand-inked constellations making their mark, starkly bright against satin clouds.

And Hosuh couldn't help it when he saw the painted lavender field, stopped in time,   
gently swaying in an unseen breeze, blossoms of mauveine looking for all the world like a certain Stephen Delanore's hair. Hair that Stephen had shaken out of his eyes   
just a day ago in the Chemistry lab, laughter on his lips and a strangely entrancing wildness in his eyes when he'd accidentally overheated a test tube and exploded it in the unsuspecting teacher's general direction.

A soft smile ghosted over Hosuh's face as he remembered how he'd seen Stephen, a little more subdued after having been told off by the lab assistant. How Hosuh himself had been washing up their lab equipment that day, and had — in a moment of uncharacteristic impulse _— _splashed a single, sparkling drop of water at Stephen Delanore's sharp, edged features in an attempt to bring back that ever-familiar dark arrogance.

Certainly, it had worked, since Stephen, glancing over with one of his ubiquitous smirks already emerging, had given Hosuh an appraising look, a dark brow arched, "Never knew you had a playful streak, Hosuh Leblanc."

And quicker than Hosuh could have followed, Stephen's long fingers were streaking through the stream of water coming from the faucet, and tapping him lightly on the nose, leaving a lone droplet quivering there, the sunrays from outside the lab setting the tiny splash of water alight.

Hosuh had scrunched his nose, trying to see the water droplet, and laughed softly, "What was that for?"

"To hear you laugh." Stephen had said, so nonchalantly, but it had sounded so immeasurably beautiful from his lips.

And even as Hosuh's heart had skipped a beat at that sentence, he'd laughed again —maybe he was nervous, or maybe he was giddy _—_ and maybe Hosuh should have stopped staring into Stephen Delanore's strange, hazel eyes, but he didn't want to.

No, Hosuh didn't want to do anything but reach out and lose his fingers in those half-wavy locks of purple, as he laughed again, still willingly drowning in the eyes of the boy with the world-shifting smirk, "I always laugh around you, it's nothing special."

And Hosuh could have sworn Stephen had shaken his head, just a fraction of a degree, before flicking another drop of water right at Hosuh's forehe—

The door to the art room opened, effectively snatching Hosuh from his dreamlike, half-delirious state. He turned to see his art teacher, Miss Inesca enter the room and set down what looked like multiple students' art projects on her desk.

She glanced over, an eyebrow arched, "Hosuh, you're still in school? It's been nearly two hours since school ended."

"I just wanted to work on an art piece that I've wanted to finish for a while," Hosuh shifted to the side slightly to let Miss Inesca see, "I can actually pack up now, if you want to lock up the art room for the day? I have to head to the library nearby in a while to study a bit for the term tests."

Miss Inesca studied the art piece for a moment, giving it an appraising nod, "Sounds like a full day. That piece has been very well done, Hosuh; will I have the privilege of grading it as part of your term's work?"

Hosuh gave a half-sheepish smile, "Not really, it's actually a personal project of mine, Miss Inesca."

His teacher only smiled from behind her round, wire-rimmed glasses, "Well, good luck, then, though you probably won't need it. I came to drop off the junior year's art pieces, but I do need to go now. Still, you're welcome to stay and paint a little more as long as you lock the place up when you leave."

Hosuh dipped his head in thanks, "Have a good day, Miss Inesca."

And with a half-singsong, "You too," Miss Inesca was out the classroom door and gone.

\- time skip -

Hosuh often bemoaned his clumsiness.

Sometimes, he'd walk into a chair, or be too preoccupied to notice a lamp post. More often than he'd have liked to admit, he tripped over nothing.

And then there were the times that he might walk right into a random stranger on his way into a public library while using his phone, and cause said stranger to drop all the books and papers she'd been carrying.

Not that he was referring to a specific situation or anything.

No, it could have happened to anyone, Hosuh told himself, as he rushed forward and leaned down to help the girl pick up her books.

"I_— _I'm so sorry about that." Hosuh gathered the loose sheafs of paper into a neat stack and passed them to the girl, not really daring to look her in the eye.

She laughed, books already nestled in the crook of her arm, "Hey, no worries," a slim hand waved gently in front of Hosuh's face, "don't be scared, I don't bite. You come here often?"

Hosuh glanced up, his embarrassment absorbed by his intrigue upon noticing the girl's bright pink locks of hair, "I— yeah, I come here most weekdays to study." Hosuh faltered slightly, before remembering a glimpse of a sketch of a bustling street in the stack of papers, "Do you... do you do art?"

"Yeah, I actually come here to draw pretty often, since it's so nice and quiet. I do urban cityscapes and a bit of animation. Didn't catch your name, by the way," the girl lifted an eyebrow at him.

"Uhh... Hosuh. Hosuh Leblanc."

She nodded, "Cool name, I'm Pau. Gotta go, though; good luck studying. See you around, Hosuh."

"Bye, Pau...?" Hosuh tested the name. It was simple, and unique enough that he probably wouldn't forget it.

Waving a quick goodbye, the girl, Pau, was already down the stairs of the library entrance and gone, vanishing seamlessly into the busy street despite her brightly-colored hair.

Hosuh turned towards the library's towering entrance, smiling slightly from the interaction with someone new; talkative and friendly people were always so fun to be around, and it was always cool to find somebody else who liked drawing. His awkwardness from walking into Pau already forgotten, Hosuh headed into the library.

What a shame, he mused, his mind already half-preoccupied with other thoughts, that he'd probably not get to meet her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!! What did y'all think? Hosuh just can't seem to get Stephen off his mind, can he? And Pau has joined the mix, so that's always fun, because art buddies. Next chapter, we'll get more of Stephen and Hosuh together again, no worries.  
I got so many supportive comments on the last AN; thanks, you guys!!  
Jay and Dan will make their appearances again real soon, so be ready for more sociopathic dumbassery as well!


	16. Riotous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, hope you guys had a great week!! It's finally Friday!

**[Monday, Week 3]**

Stephen opened the front doors.

"Hi. Me again," Hosuh gave a small wave, laughing softly and glancing up at Stephen through his silvery bangs.

And already, Stephen was half-entranced, staring as the boy of silver and ivory slipped into the house, shoes off and already heading for the dining room, where Jay and Dan were waiting.

Stephen forced himself to focus and caught up, "All business, huh?"

Hosuh blinked, "I can linger and talk, but I thought you'd prefer to do that later when we walk home— I mean, if— if it's not too much trouble— I just... as long as you don't mind, I thought maybe we could—" Hosuh stumbled, not wanting to seem presumptuous. The words had come out before he'd really thought about them.

"Longing for my company already?" Stephen smirked, and Hosuh could have died right on the spot if that endlessly dark arrogance hadn't melted into a smile of surprising softness and sincerity, "I'm just kidding; of course I can walk you home, Hosuh."

And Stephen was so enchanted by the smile of relief — and... was that anticipation? — that crossed Hosuh's gentle features, that he almost walked straight into the doorframe of the dining room's entrance.

"Such lithe and long-limbed grace, Stephen," Dan taunted from his seat beside a smirking Jay.

"Shut up," was all the reply Stephen gave.

Jay, grinning lazily, sent Hosuh a loose wave, "We gonna start now with the smart people stuff?"

Hosuh shrugged, setting down his messenger bag, "I mean... I don't see why not."

Stephen turned to leave, calling over his shoulder, "Y'all play nice; don't terrorize Hosuh."

Dan shouted a quick reassurance, and Jay turned to Hosuh, cupping his face in his palms, "I'm listening. Hit us with the knowledge."

\- time skip -

Jay ran a hand through his already-messy blond curls, waving his pencil around, "This doesn't make any sense—!"

Dan didn't glance up from his textbook, "Shush, I'm busy being smarter than you."

The pencil in Jay's hand was lazily turned to point at Dan, "If peace and quiet's what you want, Dan... ever heard of the phrase, 'as silent as the grave'?"

Hosuh couldn't help but to laugh as Dan jumped up on the dining table, "Don't use your sociopath voice on me, that shit's creepy— I'm gonna sit with Hosuh."

Dan jumped off the table and crouched behind Hosuh, peeping up cautiously over the back of his chair, "Hosuh, save me—"

Jay gestured with his pencil towards the comical head of green hair sticking up behind Hosuh and rolled his eyes conspiratorially, mouthing at Hosuh, "See what I have to deal with?"

Another laugh escaped Hosuh's mouth as he turned to look at Dan, "Don't you have work to do? I told you to read that chapter...!"

"But Hosuh... we're tired..." Dan complained, lying down on the ground of the dining room, "I wanna take a break, Hosuh."

"But— but you guys have to—"

"Actually, a break does sound pretty good," Jay chimed in, already draping himself across the back of his chair, "We only have ten more minutes, chill with us, Hosuh."

"I— alright..." Hosuh scrunched up his nose jokingly, "You guys are such bad influences, I'm supposed to be here to help you study."

"If you think we're bad influences, you don't want to know how often we get into debates with Stephen over whether or not cannibalism is an appropriate answer to any life or death situation," Dan called from his spot on the floor.

Jay laughed, shifting to sprawl across the dining table, head of blond locks resting on his arms, "As Stephen puts it, 'Cannibalism isn't the answer. Cannibalism is the question, to which the answer is yes.' "

Hosuh wasn't sure whether he was amused or mildly concerned, "But then, isn't cannibalism a little overdone? Like, surely if you're gonna be gruesome, there's a more creative way to do it...?"

Jay arched an eyebrow, "Now, see, _that's_ a concept that sounds like it's worth my time. I think I rather like it when Hosuh shows his true colors."

Hosuh gave a laugh of weak protest, holding up his hands, "Wait, hold on—"

Dan sat up from the ground, "Why are we even talking about cannibalism?! Guys, what the heck?"

"Well, guys, I actually came here to tell Hosuh that he doesn't need to put up with you two and your shenanigans anymore, but, I heard 'cannibalism', so yes, let's talk about that," came the voice of a certain gang leader.

Stephen, who had just come through the doorway, walked over to stand beside Hosuh, looking down at him, "So let's walk home, unless you'd like to stay longer to discuss the merits of eating humans?"

"Uhh... no, I think I'm good." Hosuh pushed back his chair and walked out of the dining room with Stephen.

"Yes, because leaving me in an enclosed space with Daniel is a _fantastic_ idea," Jay called from behind them.

Stephen turned to roll his eyes at them, "You two aren't staying here; go make a couple passes of the area and check what info the rest of the guys have. See if there's intel you guys can get through the grapevine, too. It's been pretty quiet among the gangs, and I get the feeling that something's about to happen."

At that, Jay and Dan stood and nodded, before heading out the house's back door. It seemed that Stephen's more commanding voice had its effect on everyone, and Hosuh too, was fighting the unexpected warmth across his face and throat.

Hosuh sat down by the door to tug on his sneakers, "Is that your mafia voice?"

Stephen, busy tying his shoelaces, glanced over and laughed, "My mafia voice? What's that?"

"You know," Hosuh gestured randomly with his slim hands as they headed out the door, "Like, your deeper voice. All-business. When you tell people to 'Do this!' or 'Do that!' or like, 'Kneel before me!' "

Stephen smirked, slinging a casual arm across Hosuh's slender shoulders, as he glanced down at the silver-brushed boy, "I know I told you that I'm bi, Hosuh, but I don't really tell people to kneel for me."

Hosuh — now thoroughly scandalized — almost choked. Stephen's arm was around him — a foreign, if welcome, weight — and the innuendo had been anything but innocent, and Hosuh couldn't get it out of his mind, and he was blushing, and he probably should have been saying something witty back but he didn't _have_ the coherence for banter.

Stephen knew he was enjoying himself far too much, watching Hosuh's eyes — silver like a wraith — grow wide in surprise, as the near-elfin ears of the pretty, gilded carving of a boy next to him turned positively red, matching the almost-sweet rosiness winding its way across his throat. As Hosuh stood there, his lips — far more temptingly soft than they had any business being — parted by a barely-audible gasp, and moon-white hands fluttering loosely at his sides in a momentary loss for words, scandalon had never looked so beautiful.

And damn it all, Hosuh shivered, actually _shivered_, when Stephen leaned down right next to his ear and gave a dark laugh, so deep and so low, and so impossibly sinful, "Dirty mind, Hosuh Leblanc. What are you thinking of?"

Right there, out in the street, the boy with a crown of purple and a bedroom voice was murmuring in his ear, so tauntingly suggestive, and Hosuh would have been lying if he'd said that he wasn't thoroughly tempted to consider the merits of kissing Stephen Delanore in the middle of the damned road.

Through the haze of dark delight that he always got from teasingly flirting with Hosuh, Stephen's heart was racing, barely aware of the neighborhood they were still walking through as the boy with locks of silver and skin of starlight turned, eyes half-focused, lips rosy and full, looking for all the world like temptation incarnate, barely inches from Stephen's own face.

And maybe Stephen was leaning forward, maybe he was an idiot. Maybe he was stupidly, stupidly in love with the boy whose skin rippled with moonshine. Maybe—

Maybe his phone was ringing.

Maybe it was buzzing and screeching and fucking interrupting what may have been simultaneously the best and most terrible idea Stephen might have ever acted on.

Gone was any intimacy as Stephen swore filthily under his breath, fumbling to answer his phone. Gone was the softness of the moment before as Hosuh jumped back at the sudden sound, eyes widened, gaze shooting straight to the sidewalk beneath them, fingers fluttering around thin air, as he looked positively confused.

Hosuh glanced up to Stephen who was on the phone, eyebrows knitted, nodding, making the a nonverbal sound of agreement every now and then.

From where he was, Hosuh couldn't hear exactly what the person on the other side was saying, but from the accentuations in the speech pattern, it was probably Jay.

"... here? In our sector? Why? What's he doing?" Stephen shot Hosuh a quick look of apology, turning slightly to face away.

The voice on the other line — presumably Jay — murmured something, a little rushed.

"Yeah, I know, but," a barely-noticeable glance in Hosuh's direction, "I can't come over right now. I'll be there in ten, just give me a while."

Stephen listened while the caller spoke a moment more, before rushing an, "Alright, bye." and hanging up with a slight frown.

Turning back towards Hosuh, Stephen tried to laugh nonchalantly, "Sorry about that. Just Jay with some news."

"Sounded pretty important," Hosuh nodded towards Stephen's phone — currently in his hand, "You sure you don't need to go over? You don't have to stay if there's something you need to attend to."

Stephen frowned, conflict apparent across his features, "No, I said I'd walk home with you, it's nothing, I'm sure that—"

"Stephen." Hosuh laid a hand on the taller boy's arm, "I can get myself home. It's alright. They probably need you, or Jay wouldn't have called. I don't mind."

Stephen ruffled his purple curls before dragging a hand down his face, muttering something along the lines of, "I wish you weren't so nice."

Shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts, Stephen gripped Hosuh by the shoulders, hazel eyes searching silver, "I— I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you, mmkay?" Stephen swept a few strands of silver out of Hosuh's face, a thumb shifting up to brush at his slender, pale throat, "Anything you want, I'll make it up to you. Anything for you, Hosuh Leblanc."

Startled by the sudden closeness, Hosuh only nodded slowly, eyes still wide.

Through his haze of surprise, Hosuh vaguely felt a sense of loss as Stephen let go and stepped back, steady hands gone from Hosuh's shoulders, the finger brushing at Hosuh's throat no longer there. Stephen started moving off in the other direction, only half-running as if he didn't want to leave Hosuh's presence so soon.

It was Stephen's hair, a glittering crown of purple in the late light of afternoon, that snapped Hosuh's attention out of his daze.

"You don't— you don't have to make it up to me!" Hosuh called to Stephen, already halfway down the street.

Stephen turned, a smile lighting his face as if brought on by seeing Hosuh one last time, and waved, "I want to."

Then, sooner than Hosuh would have liked, he was gone.

And so the boy with a being of silver walked his way home, a shy song on his gentle lips, a smirking hurricane of a gang leader on his whirling mind, with only five words in the world that he could ever care for.

"Anything for you, Hosuh Leblanc."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I am hopelessly obsessed with writing Jay's kinda-older-brother-to-everyone vibe, please send help.  
Stephen and Hosuh almost kissed; as much as I love the ship, I'm a slut for writing interrupted-kiss scenes. Don't worry though, there'll be more fluff on the way!  
Next chapter will be... interesting, to say the least.  
Just a repeat announcement, I'll be in Korea for just over a week, starting on Sunday, so I won't be updating for a while. Sorry, guys. I'll get back on schedule once I return, though, don't worry.  
Anyway, what did y'all think of this chapter? Feedback is always appreciated!!


	17. Monarch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody!! I’m back from Korea with a new chapter for y’all!

**[Tuesday, Week 3]**

"So, we don't know anything?"

"Basically? No. Nothing."

Stephen and his guys were at their regular spot. As cliche as it was to have gang meetings in an abandoned warehouse, it helped to keep the guys’ addresses secret, especially if they were tailed on their way to meetings.

A roll call would show that it was a fairly small gathering. Jay and Dan were there — as always — along with Cas and Lin, and a dude they all called JoCat.

The rest of Stephen's guys hadn't known about the issue that had popped up inthe form of a mysterious person the day before, and hadn't been called in.

Dan cleared his throat, "Okay, what we _do_ know, is that this person is called The Monarch. The anonymity of the name is a little old-school, but that's what all the other gangs call him."

Stephen raised an eyebrow at Jay; he'd been the one to actually see The Monarch for a short while.

Taunting streak gone for a while, Jay replied, "Elusive. That's all the description this guy has. He works alone. Like, the other gangs don't really know what to do about him. He hasn't really been said to _do_ much, just pop up here and there for a bit and disappear."

"In fact," Cas shrugged from where he sat on the floor beside Jay, "Despite all the armed truce between the other gangs, they all agree on basically one thing. If The Monarch is out and about, something's going on. Whatever happens may not be bad, but the dude doesn't just show up for nothing."

Stephen, perched against the furniture they'd moved into the warehouse, frowned slightly, "Well, any identifying features?"

"No human ones," Dan called over from the other side of the place.

JoCat noticed Stephen's questioning look, "Dan means that this guy doesn't show any part of himself. All reports from other gangs describe someone with sunglasses, a surgical mask, and a cap on under a hood. Either a hoodie and jeans or a long, hooded coat. It's not form-fitting stuff either, no one can recognize him by his figure."

"Fine, so we know he's a recluse. I want to know what he was doing in my sector. Anything to tell me?" Stephen pushed off the table he'd been leaning on, before jerking his chin at Jay.

"He'd just been standing there in the back alley. Didn't seem scared. Hands in his pockets, seemed a little bored. He even waved at me, not like a friendly wave, though. More like an I'm-not-scared-of-you wave. Casual, nearly dismissive, you know?" Jay reached into his pocket, "He dropped this before walking away."

Stephen looked at the small piece of paper Jay held out. Unfolded, perfectly white, practically pristine.

And it had words printed on one side.

Stephen took it, arching a brow at Jay in a silent question.

"Fresh paper, no prints, I checked. He had gloves, saw them when he waved at me," Jay shrugged, "I don't think it's a code, I analysed it with Lin."

Stephen nodded. If Jay and Lin said the note wasn't coded, it wasn't coded. They were the pros when it came to reading between the lines. It seemed like The Monarch had meant for them to read the note anyway, so it was probably a scare tactic.

Stephen didn't care. He flipped the note over and glanced at it.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_ A Throne for a Monarch. _

_ \- T.M. _

  
  
  
  
  


The message itself was simple enough, if slightly cryptic.

Stephen passed the note back to Jay, "Any idea what it means?"

Surprisingly enough, it wasn't Jay who answered, but Lin, who had been silent until then, "I suspect it's a threat. Don't know exactly what it means yet. By "Throne", he's probably referring to some position of power or something. It could be something to just get you on your toes, though. Get you nervous, create some suspense."

"Then again, purpose depends on who the target is. I'll ask around to see if any of the other gangs got the same note." Cas intoned, glancing up at Stephen.

Stephen waved a hand towards the entrance of the warehouse, "Go ahead. JoCat, with him."

The two of them nodded assent before heading out.

Stephen settled back into his seat, "Anything else to know about The Monarch?"

Dan shook his head, "We've covered everything. The problem is, he didn't really do anything. He just showed up. So, we can't technically declare hostile intentions and ask the other gangs for alliance or protection."

Stephen bit his lip; it was a good point.

"Well, start by contacting Odd," Stephen decided.

Jay arched an eyebrow, "James? We're calling in people from his quadrant?"

"No, just keep him on standby. He's the farthest from our part of the sector, so he and his guys probably won't get trouble from The Monarch."

James, or — as the community knew him — Odd, was one of Stephen's most trusted guys. Stephen held a sprawling territory among the gangs; far too much for him to control on his own. Odd was in charge of the second-largest of the four quadrants of Stephen's sector, the biggest under the watch of Stephen himself. Odd and the other quadrant leaders reported regularly to Stephen, and held power in the gang second only to Jay and Dan — Stephen's second- and third-in-command.

Dan, already pulling his phone from his pocket, asked, "How many people should I tell him to have ready just in case?"

"One third of his guys, ready to move on short notice." Stephen paused before adding, "Tell Odd to be prepared to pass control of the quadrant to his deputy if I call him in, too."

"Will do," Dan nodded, phone already held against his ear, as he stepped outside to talk to James.

Stephen stood, ready to head off, "Jay, with me. Lin, reanalyse the note, and tell me if you get anything useful. Don't lose it."

Jay stood, and jogged over to Stephen, as Lin — silent as ever — gave a firm nod.

As they stepped out of the warehouse, Jay waved quickly to Dan — who was still on the phone — before commenting, "You don't seem very nervous about The Monarch."

"I'm not. He's just a punk who won't come out on top." Stephen smirked back, voice dropping dangerously. "Can't be a Monarch, if there's already a King."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s so great to be back to uploading again!! As fun as Korea was, I can’t wait to see what you guys think of this chapter! Feedback’s chill; always appreciated!!  
Thanks again for waiting everyone! I know I was gone for like, a full week!!  
Don’t worry, Hosuh will be back in the plot soon in a later chapter!! I just thought the story should focus a little on Stephen’s side of things. For now, the suspense is (hopefully) building!


	18. Unaware

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody!! Brace yourselves for Hosuh being adorable!

**[Wednesday, Week 4]**

"Oh, hey! You again!" a semi-familiar voice came from behind Hosuh.

He and Shai were at the library after school, and one of the last things he expected to do was to turn around to find himself face to face with...

"Pau?" Hosuh gave a small wave.

"Yep, it's me again, and— oh!" Pau cut herself off, focus suddenly on Shai, "Aren't you from that digital animation class I go to? You're... you're Shai, right?"

Shai arched a cobalt brow, "That's me. I remember you now. You're the one who's really good at drawing. Never actually got your name; Hosuh knows you as 'Pau'?"

"Uh huh," Pau nodded, eyes crinkling with a small smile, "So, are you guys here to study? Hosuh mentioned that when we first bumped into each other. Literally."

"Me? Study? Nah, I do that at home. I'm here to pick up a couple books for research. Got a group project going on," Shai deadpanned, rolling her eyes.

Pau gave a sympathetic wince, "Alright, well, I'm here to just get a bit of drawing done. Gotta leave at 5pm, though," she turned to Hosuh, "Mind if I sit with you?"

"Oh, yeah, no problem."

And with a quick exchange of waves and smiles, they went separate ways, Shai moving off to borrow research material, and Hosuh and Pau to find a suitable table to sit at.

They ended up picking one in a quieter corner, next to one of the huge bay windows in the library that gave a view of the city outside.

Pau gave a good-natured laugh when Hosuh pulled out a textbook, "That thing looks like torture; both to read, and to carry around."

This coaxed a chuckle from Hosuh, who — up till that point — had been pretty worried about being awkward in front of a new friend, "It's not so bad."

Pau smiled, pencil returning to the paper of her sketchbook, "So, you like science? Which one's your favorite?"

"Chemistry," Hosuh found himself saying.

Pau nodded appraisingly, "Why? Fun lab partner?"

"The lessons are cool too, but yeah, my lab partner's pretty chill. Kinda hilarious. His name's Stephen and he set fire to his worksheet once, and exploded a test tube at the teacher another time," Hosuh smiled slightly in memory.

A laugh burst from Pau's lips, "Whoever Stephen is, he sounds like a bit of a handful."

"Yeah, I was honestly a little afraid of him when we first got assigned to sit together," Hosuh admitted.

Pau leaned forwards in curiosity, sketchbook lying forgotten in her lap, "Wait, why?"

"Because," Hosuh hesitated, "Because he's kinda known as a troublemaker in school. He— uhh, he got detention on the first day of the term."

Phew.

Hosuh leaned back in relief; he'd almost told Pau that Stephen was the infamous Stephen Delanore. It wasn't that he was ashamed of being Stephen's friend, he had just wanted Pau to have a good impression of Stephen, and he figured that most people wouldn't react that well to knowing that Hosuh was friends with a gang leader. Hosuh shrugged to himself; Stephen was a good guy, and didn't deserve to be feared just because he led a gang.

"... you still there...?" Pau asked, waving her pencil gently at him.

"Oh, yeah, sorry, I've just been tired, these past few days. Haven't slept much; term tests are round the corner."

It wasn't technically a lie. Hosuh knew his sleep schedule hadn't been great recently, but it was a small sacrifice, and one he was willing to make for his grades.

"Damn, graded tests already? So soon?" Pau winced.

"Yeah, the school changed the test dates. Brought them forward quite a bit," Hosuh shrugged, "What can I do?"

Pau smiled in sympathy before brightening up, "Hey, after your tests are over, you should celebrate or something, y'know? Bake something?"

"I can cook, but I can't bake..." Hosuh looked down in mock sadness.

"Well, I can bake, but I can't cook to save my life. Hey, we can chill together after your tests, just _casually _make a five-course meal and flex our food-making skills on all your friends," Pau giggled, only half-joking.

Hosuh laughed along, "Yeah, let's do that. Can't believe I made a friend who likes drawing and going to the library and making food by just walking into someone."

"Same here; if being clumsy got me friends, I'd have enough friends to fill a continent," she gave a self-deprecating shrug, "We should hang out sometime, wanna chill at a cafe I know? The coffee's really good there."

Hosuh nodded, still not sure how he was making friends so easily, "Sure, yeah, maybe sometime next week or so? I'll find a slot, and text y— I don't have your number."

Pau pulled out her phone, "Here, give me your phone, I'll just call you. I'll have to leave right after, though. My phone says it's nearly five."

"Time sure has flown," Hosuh commented, passing her his phone, "I'll still be staying on a little longer, though."

Hosuh watched as Pau tapped the "call" button, and sure enough, his phone started ringing.

He picked it up, and jokingly spoke a, "Hi?"

Pau lifted her phone to her ear, playing along, "Hello! Gotta go now. Bye bye!"

She gathered her stuff and walked backwards away from the table to wave to Hosuh as he replied, "Bye, have fun!"

And with that, Hosuh's new friend exited the library.

\- time skip -

Hosuh shook himself awake.

He was still in the library, and his watch told him that it had been nearly three hours since Pau had left. Still, he could afford to stay on a while. He'd already completed all his homework, so he had nothing much apart from studying that needed to be done; he could stick around a bit longer.

Hosuh tried to focus. The hand holding his pencil was drooping again already, and his eyelids would not stay up long enough for him to read more than a few lines, his usual ponytail long since having come undone.

In the back of his mind, Hosuh vaguely heard someone enter the library as the quaint little set of bells on the door gave a cheerful tinkle, but he was too far taken in the realm of sleep.

\- POV switch -

Stephen Delanore was in the library.

That might have sounded oxymoronic, because it was. Looking around, Stephen realized he hadn't set foot in one of these places in over half a year.

No matter, though, because he was far too busy worrying about looking for what he needed than contemplating the frequency of his visits to libraries. He needed a textbook. To be specific, a Science textbook. The test dates had been pushed forward, as everyone in school knew, and the Science graded tests were coming up in less than a week's time.

After consulting the librarian, Stephen made his way over to the section that held the high school textbooks, cursing himself for being such a procrastinator. He'd just have to get as much information as he could into his brain and hope that he'd pass. Failing the occasional test wasn't a big issue for him, but he couldn't bother to be held back another year in high school. Stephen had completely not cared for anything in the manner of academics in sophomore year and had ended up paying for it by having to endure another full year of high school bullshit.

Stephen combed the shelves, looking for the textbook that the school syllabus coordinated with, glancing longingly at thinner textbooks and envying the students whose material followed those instead.

But fuck, he couldn't find the textbook he needed anywhere. And it was too late to go to another library. Stephen didn't have time that he could afford to waste, he needed the textbook immediately.

He was about to head over to the library computer to check if anyone had already borrowed it, when something caught his eye. The exact textbook he needed was lying on a table just a few yards away. From his angle, the shelves were blocking his view of the person using the textbook, but maybe they would let Stephen borrow it instead.

His long legs carrying him across the distance in a few quickened strides, Stephen turned towards the table, already having prepared a quick excuse for why he needed the textbook desperately—

... and found none other than a sleeping Hosuh Leblanc.

Hosuh was asleep, head somehow propped up by his left hand, leaning against the table, warmly snuggled in the folds of an oversized hoodie, and irredeemably adorable in his sleep.

His quest for a textbook momentarily forgotten, Stephen stood frozen, right next to the sleeping boy. Hosuh's hair had come untied, softly-curling locks of silver framing his gentle features. He was a study in ivory and moonlight, long lashes fluttering against his cheekbones as he slept, slender hands lost in the soft fabric of his sleeves, a waterfall of silvery hair lending a sense of otherworldliness that couldn't be achieved in the harsh light of the day.

And oh gods, Hosuh was beautiful.

Faultlessly, untouchably beautiful.

And Stephen might have stood there, staring for millenia, struck by the beauty of the boy of shifting light, lost in a moment of eternity, if a stranger hadn't walked into the library just then, the bells on the library door giving their gentle chime, lifting Stephen back from his half-consciousness.

Textbook. Right. He needed it.

Stephen tentatively touched Hosuh on the shoulder, almost not daring to disturb such an ethereal creature, and gave a soft, "Hosuh...?"

And, the fluttering of eyelashes heralding the opening of sleep-murky silver eyes, Hosuh stirred, breathing deeply and straightening up. But Stephen had made a mistake, oh gods, he'd made a mistake. 

Because now Hosuh was staring up at him sleepily, face cupped in his hands, and a yawn audible in his voice as he murmured, "Stephen? Why are you— you're here. Are you a dream?"

And shit, Stephen wasn't sure. Maybe this was a dream. What other explanation could there be for such impossibly entrancing beauty? How else could Hosuh have chained the stars, how else could he have called them to his command, that they pulsed with such soft, glowing light under his skin?

Stephen could only give a small chuckle, "Nope, not a dream, I don't think."

"Mm..." Hosuh nodded slowly, before looking back up with confusion dancing across his face, "Then why are you..." he waved his hands around in a momentary loss for words, "Why are you here?"

"Umm... I came to borrow a textbook. The one you have right here," Stephen pointed to the open textbook right beside Hosuh's pencilcase, "I was wondering if you needed it still?"

Hosuh, still not quite fully awake, lifted the textbook to show Stephen the spine, "It's... this is my textbook. There's no... no library sticker."

Stephen cursed under his breath, speaking more to himself than to anyone else, "That means someone's already borrowed the one I need. Shit, what am I gonna do?"

Hosuh shook his head, covering his mouth to stifle a yawn, "No, wait, don't panic; we can... we can study for the tests together. No problem. I can lend you my notes and stuff... yeah."

Stephen stared down at the boy, who was still only half-awake, "You sure? Do you have the time? I can't imagine anyone wanting to help me study; are you still, like, asleep or something?"

"No," Hosuh shook his head, pouting slightly childishly, silver locks shifting, "I know what I'm saying. I'm..." he gave a yawn, "I'm awake."

Stephen couldn't help but to give a fond laugh, "Yeah, okay. Thanks, Hosuh. Won't you need to get home soon, though? It's nearly nine o'clock."

Hosuh somehow managed to widen his eyes sleepily, "Huh?! I need to— my family will be wondering where I am, I—"

Stephen laughed again, as Hosuh stood up, hair still untied, and began shoving stuff in his bag. For all his sleepiness, Hosuh moved surprisingly quick, and was ready to leave the library in under half a minute. 

Smiling softly at the sight of Hosuh — bag on his shoulders and hands still covered by the sleeves of his hoodie — shuffling along beside him, Stephen led them out of the library and down the street.

Hosuh stopped suddenly in the middle of the sidewalk, looking a little confused, "Your house is that way."

Using a hand hidden by his hoodie, Hosuh pointed in the _very_ general direction of Stephen's home.

Stephen laughed, "I'm walking you home, silly. C'mon. Can't have people snatching you off the street while you're still so tired, can we?"

"Oh." Hosuh contemplated it for a moment before giving a big smile and catching up to Stephen, "Okay."

Stephen glanced down at the shorter boy, who was happily traipsing down the street beside him, sleepiness probably having clouded his usual sense of neat propriety. But to be honest, Stephen quite liked Hosuh when he was like this. Loose and blunt and smiley. Stephen instinctively reached over to pat Hosuh on the head and ruffle his silver curls, which were still not tied up.

Hosuh gave a cheerful giggle, and very nearly stopped Stephen's heart by wrapping his slender arms around Stephen's own arm and hugging onto it as they walked. Stephen could only think of one thing; he was so grateful that it was nighttime and Hosuh couldn't see him blushing like a fool. Still, Stephen supposed, it was just as well that Hosuh was holding on to him and wouldn't fall d—

"Your face is... 's red," Hosuh remarked, as they passed under streetlight, "Too warm?"

And when Hosuh walked in front of him, up delicately on his tiptoes to put his pale hands against Stephen's cheeks, Stephen lost all pretense of control. Unable to do anything but stare into Hosuh's eyes as the shorter boy checked his temperature, Stephen tried to remember what it was like to have coherent thought.

"I— I'm fine. Really." he gently lifted Hosuh's hands away, Stephen continued to walk, trying hopelessly to hide the blush across his face that was now even more intense than before.

Hosuh gave a small giggle that made Stephen's steps falter, "People 're so pretty when they blush."

Had Hosuh... had Hosuh literally just called him pretty?

But Stephen didn't have time to ponder, because just then, Hosuh decided to slip both of his slim hands into Stephen's, basically holding his hand, before giving a sound of comfort that was far too suggestive for Stephen's flustered being.

"Wh— what are you... what are you doing?" Stephen all but stammered.

Hosuh laughed again, "I'm cold..." he pressed his fingers farther into Stephen's hand before practically moaning out loud, "You're so warm..."

Stephen would have been thoroughly scandalized, if he hadn't been busy being worried when Hosuh's laughing didn't stop. Hosuh had shifted from humorous chuckles at jokes to continuing laughs at virtually nothing.

Stephen called Hosuh's name, getting only near-crazed giggles in return.

Fully concerned now, Stephen pushed Hosuh to the side of the street, his hands not so much pinning the shorter boy to the wall of a building as propping him up, as his laughs continued.

"Hey, you okay? Are you just super laugh-y when you're tired, or is something wrong?" Stephen asked, brushing loose strands of hair out of Hosuh's face.

"Nothing wrong... 's just funny," Hosuh smiled up between giggles.

Stephen rolled his eyes good-naturedly, "Okay, we'll wait for you to calm down a little."

And Stephen hadn't meant to be standing this close to the boy, their faces only inches apart, but he found himself watching as Hosuh threw back his head against the wall, laughter still spilling from his lips, unbound hair glowing in the light of the moon, and mirth dancing in his eyes.

But slowly, Hosuh came down from his mania, laughter abating, and breathing evening out. His physical barriers were still down though, if Hosuh immediately latching onto Stephen's arm when they were ready to continue walking was anything to go by.

Luckily for Stephen, the rest of the walk was pretty uneventful, as they traded their regular banter, Hosuh still laughing a bit more than usual. It was nice to see him like this, Stephen decided. Less guarded, definitely more carefree.

They turned a corner, approaching Hosuh's house, which was at the end of the street.

Stephen certainly hadn't been expecting it when Hosuh snuggled a little closer to his arm, "Don't wanna go home already. Still wanna talk to you."

Even as his heart melted again at Hosuh's sleepy mannerisms, Stephen gave a gentle laugh, "I'll see you again in school tomorrow, won't I? We have class together, first thing tomorrow morning."

Hosuh looked thoughtful, "Tha's true... mmkay."

Hosuh went quiet again for a while, probably tired from all the talking they'd done, until they were only a couple houses away from his home.

It was a soft, serious remark, one free of the sleepy playfulness he'd spoken with up till then, "I like you— like spending time with you, Stephen."

Hosuh, in his sleepy state, felt a tiny jolt of nervousness; he'd accidentally admitted his crush for Stephen. Giving another sleepy smile, he hoped Stephen wouldn't notice the slip-up, caused by his tiredness from working all day.

But Stephen just turned to him, a surprising softness in his strange, hazel eyes, "Me too, Hosuh Leblanc."

Before Hosuh had the time to wonder which statement Stephen was referring to, they reached the front gate of his house, and he felt a small sense of urgency in the back of his sleep-dulled mind.

Stephen stumbled back a little when Hosuh suddenly turned to wrap his arms around him, glancing up at him to say, "Thank you, Stephen."

"Hey, no problem. I can walk you home anytime. I'll see you tomorrow?"

But Stephen was lying through his teeth. There was a problem. There was a glaring, burning problem. There was a problem, because as Hosuh gazed up at him, face half-buried in Stephen's shirt, eyelashes fluttering in the light of the stars, Stephen's sanity — if there was any left — had crashed and burned like a petrol tanker in a car accident.

No, logical thought was not an option as the soft, sweet, moonlit boy had his slender arms around Stephen's chest, right over where his heart was about to spontaneously combust.

Hosuh, pressed against Stephen, their bodies flush against each other as he breathed in the taller boy's scent, didn't know. He didn't know. No, Hosuh didn't know that anything in the world existed, except that he was hugging Stephen Delanore, that Stephen's own arms were gently coming to rest atop his shoulders, tentatively returning the hug.

And though they tried to hide it, both boys — each so hopelessly, _hopelessly_ lost in the other — felt a sense of loss as they untangled themselves, each feeling the warmth of the other be replaced by the cool night air.

And Stephen couldn't imagine anything more breathtakingly beautiful than Hosuh, as he walked away, through the gates of his house, and up the driveway, glancing back over his slender shoulder at Stephen as if he couldn't help it.

Stephen could only raise a hand in farewell as the starlit boy who was cloaked with moonshine, who had silver sunsets glowing in his depthless eyes and unbound locks of woven light lifting in the night breeze to frame his face, turned to send him one last incomparably gentle smile, and stopped the world spinning on its axis as the soft silence between them crashed to a soundless crescendo.

And just barely, Stephen caught the word on Hosuh's lips, caught the soft, fragile hope in those silver eyes as he mouthed one word.

"Tomorrow."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, this chapter was long!! Longer than any I've written so far, at least. How did you guys like it? I've just always had this half-headcanon that Hosuh laughs a lot when he's tired.  
Anyway, who's excited for the weekend? The next chapter will come on Monday; things are gonna happen very soon, and I can't promise that nobody gets hurt...  
But thank y'all for all the support!! As always, it's great to be uploading and writing chapters for you guys! Feedback in the comments is always welcome; I'd love to know if there's anything I can improve on!!


	19. Machinations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there!! Me again!

**[Week 4]**

Crowds of people are swirling in the busy downtown street, and sharp neon lights compete with the stars in the darkened sky above.

People would tell you to hide where nobody can see you, but as the masses bustle around two particular girls, they are more invisible than any secret corner. They are seen by everyone, but completely unnoticed.

The people around them are moving; so are they.

The words on their lips are only for each other, swept up into the general chatter and noise of the crowd before anyone else can overhear them.

One of the girls leans in to whisper something in the other's ear, "I've met my target. Twice. He trusts me. Oh, and he did mention Stephen Delanore. Tried to cover it up, but I've done my background checking, so I knew who he was talking about; even scoped out his school a couple times. Got his address down, too, if you need it."

The other girl, the hem of her black skirt brushing at her knees, pretends to laugh at something funny, _"Now, _that_ could come in very useful... Good job. As for me, I've been having trouble getting information on our other target. He's used to being cautious, not leaving much of a trail, but he's not noticed me yet. Will you be meeting your guy again any time soon?"_

"I talked about a meeting with him sometime next week, which he seemed pretty open to. I can pull the date forwards a little if there's information you need."

Shaking her head and sending her long hair swaying slightly, the other girl murmurs, _"Nothing I need on him yet, apart from your regular reports. But make sure to test his loyalty to Stephen Delanore. See how far your target's faith in the gang leader goes. If he changes his mind at the slightest suggestion of trouble, we'll just have to find a new target who's closer to Stephen Delanore. Might have to consider going after the Third. I've kept an eye on him just in case something goes wrong with either of our targets."_

"Got it. We'll meet when he mentions it. But also, Delanore's gang knows of brewing trouble in their sector, because The Monarch showed up a couple times. Are we going to do anything about that?" the first girl replies, pulling the sleeves of her hoodie up to her elbows.

_"They don't have any idea who The Monarch is, and it will stay that way. The Monarch's only over there in the first place to set them on edge, make them wonder if something bad's going to happen. Sort of like a harbinger of doom."_

The girl adjusts her hood, frowning slightly, "A little dramatic for my taste, but whatever floats your boat. When will we be orchestrating the main plan?"

_"Don't worry,"_ the second girl gives a laugh, _"You know what's going to happen. On the day he goes to your house, the ever-infamous Stephen Delanore will have a choice to make."_

"If we succeed, though, won't our whole thing of anonymity be gone? People will know who we are, since no one's ever really outsmarted Delanore and all his guys."

The only response is a smirk, _"Recognition of talent isn't the same as knowing who we are. The gangs will know that _someone_ challenged Stephen Delanore and came out on top, but they won't know who. And besides, by the time this whole ordeal is over, I get the feeling that Stephen Delanore will be _quite_ willing to do whatever we tell him. So to answer your question, no. We will have been recognized by the gang circles for our actions, but nobody will be able to identify us."_

And for all the plotting they've done, nobody ever really notices — as the night wears on — the two girls with flowing hair, slipping in and out of the most crowded malls and clubs, untouchable in a world of indifferent strangers.

And certainly, if one were to look around, the bustling nighttime cityscape would be the perfect place for a predator to hide.

More specifically, the perfect place for a faceless predator.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, the stakes are high. And perhaps a possible alliance with The Monarch? Well, now we know who one of the mystery girls are. I'm honestly surprised nobody got it in the comments before now.  
Anyway, hello to everybody again!! Hope everyone had a good weekend! This chapter's a little shorter than usual, but that's just how these mystery chapters are like. Our usual schedule of chapters where y'all actually know who's talking will be back again this Friday. All I can say is that a certain schoolboy will be taking quite a hit in the near future.  
Comments and feedback are always appreciated but no pressure, see you guys at the end of the week!!


	20. Interaction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!! New chapter out! Yay!!

**[Thursday, Week 4]**

Hosuh was in the middle of doodling a quick sketch in his notebook and lying to himself that he was actually paying attention to the teacher, when the classroom door opened, and a certain boy with a head of messy purple locks stepped in, bag slung over one shoulder as he yawned theatrically.

From his spot in the back row, Hosuh sent Stephen a good-natured eye roll. Stephen was always so dramatic.

The teacher barely even bothered to look over at Stephen, "Would you mind telling the class why you're late, Stephen Delanore?"

Stephen grinned in a way that only spelled disaster, eyes flashing in rebellion before answering, "Well, someone told me to go to hell. And I couldn't find it. But I'm here now."

The Chemistry teacher, not even having enough energy to reprimand him, just sighed in defeat, "To your seat, Stephen. I hope you brought your textbook today."

Stephen, his long legs already carrying him down the aisle between the desks, only smirked unapologetically, "... Of course..."

Hosuh hid a snicker — he doubted the word "textbook" even existed in Stephen's day-to-day dictionary. The two of them had been sharing Hosuh's Chemistry textbooks since the first day of school. Not that Hosuh minded in the least, especially when Stephen would turn to ask him for help every now and then, or their fingers would brush as they skimmed a page.

Stephen slipped into his chair beside Hosuh, dragging it as loudly as he could, just for the hell of it, "Hey, Hosuh. Missed me?"

Hosuh smiled, jokingly pretending that he was too busy with his sketch to notice Stephen, "It's only been ten minutes since class started. You're actually early for once."

"Pshh... I know you actually love me," Stephen teased, leaning his elbow on Hosuh's shoulder, "What did you think of my dramatic entrance?"

Hosuh huffed a laugh, finally glancing over at Stephen, "You're so chaotic... You're lucky our teacher is too tired to actually get mad at you anymore, you know? Your sharp tongue's gonna get you in trouble one of these days."

Stephen smirked, leaning closer to Hosuh's ear and purposely letting his voice drop, "Really? I've been told by both genders that it's my best feature."

"You... wha—?" Hosuh cut off, finally getting the innuendo, and immediately blushing red from the base of his neck to the tips of his ears, "Stephen—!"

Stephen, completely unabashed, only tsked in mock reproach, a roguish grin making an appearance across his features, "Mmm, Hosuh, your mind's in the gutter again. So inappropriate."

"I— you're the one who—" Hosuh turned to frown at him slightly, blooming red still visible in the soft curves of his face, too embarrassed to finish his sentence.

Stephen sat back in his chair, giving an unrepentant smirk that sent Hosuh flushing warm under his already-red cheeks, as he flipped back his purple hair; he was opening his mouth to speak again — and probably cause his delicate seat partner even more mortification — when the Chemistry teacher's voice cut through the classroom, "Stephen, if you would be so kind as to focus on the lesson and not disturb your deskmate, and— Hosuh, are you alright? Your face has turned red; do you feel unwell?"

Hosuh, startled by the sudden attention, was about to open his mouth to give some half-baked excuse, when Stephen stood up, "He was actually telling me that he's feeling a little feverish. Should I take him down to see the school nurse?"

Nodding her head in begrudging approval, the teacher waved them out of the classroom.

Hosuh only dared to speak once they were out the door and about halfway down the corridor, raising an eyebrow at Stephen, "So I have an alleged fever, now?"

Stephen nodded, giving a quick sideways glance down at Hosuh, "Yep, just play along. We're skipping class."

Hosuh shrugged, teasing, "You're the one who needs as much help as he can get for the science test next week, you know."

Stephen shook his head, a playful grin on his face, "But I'll be studying with you. Don't you remember what you told me last night at the library?"

"At the... oh," Hosuh trailed off. He hadn't thought too much about the night before, everything had seemed so normal in his sleep-dulled haze.

But now... oh, shit. Even _thinking_ about how loosely and unhinged he'd acted, laughing and pouting and holding Stephen's hand, Hosuh could feel his blush from earlier returning in full force to bloom in his cheeks again.

As if he could read Hosuh's mind, Stephen smirked, the epitome of nonchalance as tilted his head slightly down, eyes still looking farther down the corridor, "Don't worry, Hosuh. It was kinda cute."

The reassurance didn't do much for Hosuh's blush.

Hosuh would've probably spent the next few days wondering about the ambiguity in the statement — Was Stephen referring to Hosuh's actions, or Hosuh himself? Which 'cute' did Stephen mean? Was he comparing Hosuh to a bubbly kindergartener, or saying that he found Hosuh endearingly attractive? — if he hadn't been more curious about something else.

"Where— where are we going? Won't we be found?" Hosuh glanced around the school's corridors nervously.

"Nah, we're going to the roof. No teacher will be up there. The few teachers I have met up there during classtime all agreed that if I didn't tell on them, they wouldn't tell on me."

"Ohh, oka— wait, what? You blackmailed the teachers?" Hosuh asked, incredulous.

"Well, not really. They were technically skipping school too. And doing stuff like smoking or having a beer. So, really, I was in higher moral standing than they were," Stephen explained, steering a half-shocked, half-admiring Hosuh into a less-known stairwell, "You should have seen their faces, one literally threw his entire box of cigarettes off the building in surprise when I appeared."

Hosuh chuckled, "Terrorizing teachers, now, are you?"

"I call it giving their half-dead heartbeats a jump start, but sure, we'll say it's 'terrorizing'. "

Hosuh's laugh echoed gently down the stairwell, fading behind them as they emerged onto the school's rooftop study park. Fitted with sets of wooden benches and tables, and an orderly network of neat, paved paths, the rooftop was dotted with regularly planted trees in little square patches of grass.

The rooftop had been designed to allow students to study in an open area while getting some fresh air, but was hardly used despite being one of the prettiest places in the school. People just didn't really want to climb stairs, Hosuh guessed.

"Never would've really pictured someone like you hanging out in such a tame place as this," Hosuh remarked, looking at Stephen and smiling softly as he murmured a familiar line, "Contradictory stereotypes are so interesting."

Stephen, hands braced against the waist-high railing that lined the edges of the rooftop, only asked, "Someone like me?"

And, as Hosuh glanced over to see the boy with the hazel eyes, who was looking out over the city, purple hair being ruffled in the wind; as he saw Stephen, back facing him, fingers gripping the black steel bars that separated him from the empty air, head tilted just slightly up to see the endless sky, Hosuh was filled with the sense of some strange, lost yearning, almost inexplicably sad.

He joined Stephen at the edge of the roof, "Yeah. Someone like you."

"Someone irresponsible and reckless?" Stephen's eyes were still fixed on the horizon, where the city skyline merged with the sky.

"Someone so rough around the edges. But gentle, beneath it all. And though you try so hard to hide it, it's sweet how much you care," Hosuh murmured, also taken by the view, slowly growing to appreciate the beauty of the intermittent buildings that reached up to brush the clouds. Two worlds joining.

And then Stephen turned to look at him, and Hosuh lost himself in the unexpected vulnerability in those shifting hazel eyes. The sudden openness of their conversation had surprised him, so uncharacteristic of Stephen. But yet, Hosuh welcomed it. He wanted to hear the boy with the purple hair speak.

Perhaps it was obligation, or perhaps it was something else that prompted Hosuh to look at Stephen and say, "Thanks, for showing me this side of you."

And though Hosuh had waved a hand at the rooftop around them, both boys knew he meant something deeper.

\- time skip -

Although he'd meant to head home after school ended, Hosuh somehow found himself at the library near Crest High with Stephen, laughing and exchanging banter as they pored over Hosuh's handwritten notes.

Stephen had sought Hosuh out after school, asking if he was free for a study session at the library. A little touched that Stephen had gone to the trouble to find him, Hosuh hadn't been about to refuse. Their walk to the library had been just like any other, full of Stephen's trademark sass, and light conversation.

Hosuh barely caught what they were saying, just knew that time was slipping by regrettably fast, that talking to Stephen was so delightfully effortless, that he would never get tired of Stephen's easy laughs.

Hosuh glanced up from explaining a set of notes to find Stephen, leaning back in his chair, head tipped up, trying to balance one of Hosuh's pencils on his nose. Hosuh rolled his eyes good-naturedly, ignoring Stephen's continuous exclamations of "I almost did it!" and "It just won't stay!", and playfully reminding Stephen that there was lesson material to cover, and an upcoming test to pass.

But when Stephen _did _pay attention long enough to actually go through the Science notes, and be tested by Hosuh on how much he understood, Hosuh found that Stephen's knowledge of the syllabus was honestly, pretty decent.

And so the hours slipped by, and Hosuh and Stephen found themselves mentally exhausted from their studying together, ready to leave the library and head home in the late afternoon. They gathered their stuff, bags packed and slung over their shoulders, Hosuh's notes somehow all fitting into a neat folder, and the pair stepped out of the library.

... to be greeted by a view of the city street basking in the oxymoronic glow of a sunshower.

Stephen sighed, about to remark on the inconvenience caused by the rain, but noticed Hosuh. The petite boy had stepped forwards, still sheltered from the rain by the quaint overhead awning outside the library. Light fractured by the water droplets in the air gilded Hosuh's cheekbones, as he stood, leaning forward just a fraction, up on his tiptoes, chin tilted up just a bit to see the falling rain sparkle with sunshine.

And Stephen didn't care anymore. Didn't care how annoying it would be to have to walk home with his umbrella obscuring his vision, to have to avoid puddles so that his shoes would stay dry, as long as he got to walk beside Hosuh, and watch the soft wonder light his silver eyes, as they walked in the gentle downpour.

But then Hosuh was turning around, a hand already reaching into his backpack, and asking Stephen, eyes filled with concern, "Do you have an umbrella?"

Stephen gave a quick nod, a little embarrassed to be caught staring, grabbing his umbrella from inside his schoolbag.

And with two graceful whooshes of the boys' umbrellas sliding open, they set off into a world of falling crystal.

Stephen didn't know how many times he lost himself staring as Hosuh half-skipped along cheerfully, the rain having put him in a more bubbly state than Stephen had ever seen. And Stephen didn't know anything but Hosuh's silver-swept eyes — far prettier than Stephen would ever admit — and that soft voice that murmured gently, every now and then giving a laugh that damn near sent Stephen's heart stopping in his chest.

And then Hosuh turned to him, eyes now serious and perhaps just a tinge unsure, as he spoke, near whispering, "You know, there's so many puddles on the ground..." An accompanying glance at the slick tiles of the sidewalk, "I would— I would hate to fall."

The most tentative lifting of a slender, pale hand in Stephen's direction.

Stephen wasn't sure if he was breathing as he looked into Hosuh's eyes, hazel and silver slowly bridging the gap that neither wanted to fall into, and Stephen felt a tiny smirk returning to his lips, "Dangerous things, puddles."

Stephen shifted, moving his own hand to catch hold of Hosuh's, as they smiled — soft and so, impossibly hopeful — in unison, each half-drunk at the feel of the other's hand enveloping their own.

And perhaps they both felt a brush of sadness when they started walking again, after a moment that had stretched into forever, neither wanting to eventually reach their destination and have to let go. And perhaps, neither of them were as subtle as they thought, both intermittently glancing towards their intertwined hands and smiling ever so gently when they thought the other couldn't see the soft blush that graced their faces.

But they walked, hearts silently blooming with a warmth that both would deny was there, as their umbrellas above them brushed shyly against each other, metal tips clicking gently, the only sound other than their footsteps in a world of falling light and water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They. Held. Hands.   
I know this is technically my story but I just love watching them be soft gay idiots.   
This update’s a little earlier than usual but hopefully it’s no big deal! My schedule tomorrow will be packed but I still wanted to get a chapter out to y’all!! It’s still Thursday for me, but ahh who cares about technicalities?  
Hope y’all enjoyed the chapter!! Feedback’s always appreciated if there’s anything I can improve on!


	21. Visitor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Monday again; new chapter!! Hope everybody's had a great weekend!

**[Monday, Week 5]**

"Go get a table, Ann, I'll head over and order the food. I know what you always choose to eat, anyway," Hosuh glanced over at his younger sister, who — as he always complained — was only a few inches shorter than him, despite being four years younger.

Ann nodded in agreement, already bouncing off to find a seat for them in the crowded fast food restaurant.

Fifteen stressful minutes of queueing and ordering food later, Hosuh arrived at their table with their orders, where a ravenous Ann immediately lit up upon seeing him carrying the trays of food.

"Faster, peasant, I'm hungry," she joked, grabbing her burger off the tray even before Hosuh had set them down.

"Hey," Hosuh scrunched his nose in mock offense before continuing, "I didn't grab straws, because single-use plastic. And also, they kinda forgot your fries...? So you can have some of mine."

Ann raised an eyebrow, mouth full of food, "You didn't correct them?"

Hosuh shrugged apologetically, "Dunno, didn't want them to get annoyed with me or something..."

Ann — thankfully having actually finished chewing and swallowing her food this time — clicked in joking disapproval, "So compliant, Hosuh... you're so non-confrontational that someone could cheat on you and you'd let it slide so that they wouldn't get annoyed with you."

"Y'know, I _am_ paying for dinner... you might wanna rethink your words, _Ann_," Hosuh pointed a single fry at Ann menacingly.

"You know what? Free dinner is too much for someone in my financial state to risk. I'll shut up about you not getting my fries."

With that, Ann took another less-than-elegant bite of her burger, and gracelessly stole a handful of Hosuh's fries, making them both laugh, before somehow managing a thoughtful look even with her face stuffed full of food, "But it's kinda sketchy."

"Huh?" Hosuh glanced up from his food.

"You wouldn't pay for dinner just to hear me talk your ears off, what's your ulterior motive _this_ time?" she narrowed her eyes.

Hosuh held up his hands in surrender, "You got me. I just needed to tell you about stuff that's been happening lately with—"

"Lemme guess. It has something to do with the fact that you walked home earlier last week, holding that Stephen's hand and blushing like there was no tomorrow? Both of you holding your umbrellas and smiling and all, in the rain like it was some late-1900's romantic movie?"

Hosuh's head whipped up to meet her eyes, "You saw us?"

Ann rolled her eyes good-naturedly, taking another of Hosuh's fries, "I _do_ have a bedroom window overlooking the driveway, Hosuh."

Hosuh facepalmed, face red in embarrassment, "What on Earth, Ann?"

His younger sister only cackled very ungracefully and leaned forwards, "So, what do you need to tell me?"

\- time skip -

After almost an hour of Hosuh telling Ann all about Stephen, she had concluded in the middle of the walk home, that both he and his purple-haired crush were oblivious gay disasters. In her own words, "he's totally been making moves on you".

Even as they got in through the front door, calling a quick greeting to their mom, who'd been home all day, Hosuh was still asking, "Are you sure? What if he's not?"

"If you don't trust my judgement, Hosuh, go ask one of your friends or something. If they don't agree that this Stephen guy totally likes you back, _I'll_ buy you dinner."

With that, Ann clapped her older brother on the shoulder, before heading up the elaborate spiral staircase to her room, murmuring to herself about a group project meeting coming up.

Ann's last sentence had most likely been a joke, but Hosuh found himself pulling his phone out of his pocket as he headed upstairs. Who should he ask? Ivu and Shai already kind of knew, and would probably be biased just because they were already so happy that he'd admitted to liking someone in the first place.

The thought popped into his mind: What about Pau?

At the library last week, she _had_ mentioned hanging out sometime soon, and he figured she wouldn't mind if they met up to talk.

Stepping into his room, Hosuh opened her contact, already beginning to form a text in his mind when his attention was drawn by a piece of paper stuck to the outside of his window.

Dropping his phone, text now forgotten, on his bed, Hosuh made his way over to the window. Sliding it open, he felt around the outside of the pane of glass, making sure not to tear the paper when he removed the tape that had stuck it to the window.

Not that it would have torn easily, anyway. The handwritten note was the thick, expensive kind of card paper that people used to make business cards, with a rough-ish, natural kind of texture.

Who would've sent him something like this? And how would anyone have been able to leave it on his window, unless...?

Unless they knew specifically where he lived.

Unless they knew which room was his.

Unless they somehow managed to get up the side of the house without being seen through the multiple large bay windows in the walls, by his mother, who had taken a full day off of work to relax.

Hands suddenly shaking slightly for a reason that Hosuh didn't want to think too much about, he slowly turned the paper over to look at what was written.

A couple of stark lines of text stared malevolently up at him, the cryptic words sending confusion through his mind, and an unexplainable fear coiling in his stomach. Hosuh's eyes — scanning the paper for hidden meanings, or any sign that this note was explicitly meant for him to read — focused on the last line of the note, written in its almost-elegant, spidery scrawl.

And any previous thought of asking anybody for help died where it was born.

As the paper in question slowly fluttered to the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ann is like, the biggest shipper of Hosuh and Stephen. I just love writing Hosuh and Ann being typical siblings and stealing fries, they're so adorable.  
Anyway, a mystery note. And a potential new threat.  
Don't worry, though, the contents of the handwritten letter will be shown next chapter. Or not.  
Still, feedback is always appreciated if there's anything I can improve on! Have a good week, everybody!!


	22. Advice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Friday, thank goodness!! New chapter, everyone!

**[Friday, Week 5]**

A girl steps out her front door.

She's going to meet someone in half an hour.

Her phone rings.

She pulls it out of her pocket, her jacket shifting at the movement. She holds the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

_"Your target's found the note I left him. Tell me if he mentions anything about it to you. I left a veiled threat in the note, but if he's still willing to take the chance to tell people about it, I have my counter-measures. Remember to test his faith in Stephen Delanore. If he stays loyal, we'll use him as one of our targets for the night we execute our plan."_ a voice, familiar to the girl, comes over the phone, slightly distorted.

"Understood."

That is all the reply that the girl gives, before hanging up.

The girl stands there a few moments more, to flip her long locks of pink hair out of her face, brushing a few strands into submission. She schools her features into a practiced mix of neutrality and anticipation, nothing more than a girl looking forward to meeting up with a friend, ever upholding her unbreakable facade.

With silently measured steps, she starts walking again.

She will arrive exactly when she wants to.

\- time skip -

Hosuh, having set out a little early lest he turn up late, was waiting at the cafe that Pau had sent him directions to. Cupping a pretty mug of hot chocolate in his hands, he was in a plush armchair at a table for two by the bay window of the quaint café, waiting for his newest friend to show up.

Attention caught by a flash of pink outside on the street, Hosuh looked up to see Pau pushing open the twin glass doors of the cafe with an apologetic smile on her face.

Making her way over with overexaggerated flailing of her arms, Pau set a couple of books down on the table, laughing apologetically, "So sorry that I'm late, I'll go order a drink and be right back!"

"S'okay, no rush," Hosuh smiled, slightly amused.

His attention turned to the neat pile of things she'd left on the table. A sleek pencilcase, a fictional storybook — fantasy, as far as Hosuh could tell — and a sketchbook or two.

Pau probably wouldn't mind if he looked at it, right?

Hosuh flipped open the sketchbook, to find a whole myriad of drawings and sketches. From bustling subway stations to abandoned Victorian-esque houses. Pau hadn't been kidding when she said that she liked drawing buildings and cityscapes.

Opening to a blank page, Hosuh snuck a pencil from Pau's pencilcase and doodled a small, cartoon version of himself.

"Drawing already, I see?"

Hosuh glanced up to see Pau smiling over at him, gently putting her cup of what looked like coffee on the table as she took a seat across him.

Giving a sheepish smile, Hosuh left the pencil on the table, "Sorry..."

Pau waved him off, taking a sip from her cup, "No worries, I brought it in case we wanted to doodle. I come here to people-watch every now and then. Helps me get the proportions right."

Picking up a pencil herself, Pau quickly drew a small bunny, "So, the thing you mentioned that you wanted to tell me about? What is it?"

"Well, you see," Hosuh began twirling a loose strand of his hair between his fingers, "there's just been this thing going on recently between me and someone else. You remember the guy I mentioned at the library?"

And so, the story was told.

Hosuh told his newfound friend everything that had happened from the first day of school till then, small smiles accentuating particularly fond memories, every now and then his fingers grasping for his pencil and sketching a rough picture of the scene he was talking about.

And small drawings began to bloom on the page.

A row of lockers. Two desks, side by side. A dodgeball fight.

A tuft of hair being tucked back. An empty classroom, save for two figures.

A chemistry textbook. Two umbrellas.

A pair of clasped hands.

"And... and I think I like him," Hosuh finished, shyly.

Pau, who had listened silently, nodding her head every now and then, and returning Hosuh's reminiscent smiles, looked up. Unlike the squeals of surprise that Hosuh had received from Ivu and Shai, or the playful teasing from Ann, Pau looked gently happy for him, but... was that concern in her eyes?

"That's honestly really great, Hosuh. It sounds like your friend Stephen is a really great guy. Y'know, if you ask me, I agree with your sister that he's most likely hitting on you," Pau smiled, "And it's pretty clear you like him back."

"That obvious, huh?" Hosuh laughed slightly, brushing the back of his neck, a little embarrassed.

Pau only glanced down pointedly at the tiny doodle of a small meadow of flowers that Hosuh had inadvertently drawn in the midst of telling her about Stephen.

Hosuh drank from his already-cooling hot chocolate, "So, what do you think I should do?"

For a short moment, Hosuh thought he spotted a flash of conflict across Pau's face, as if there was something she wasn't sure if she should tell him. She glanced around silently, brows furrowed the tiniest fraction.

"Look, can I be real honest right here?" Pau met his eyes, and Hosuh was surprised by the worry in her eyes.

Hosuh tilted his head in confusion, not expecting the gentle urgence in the undercurrents of Pau's tone, "Yeah, of course."

"Alright, don't take this the wrong way... I'm not doubting your judgement here. I just want to tell you, as your friend, that if you're planning to see where all this leads — your feelings and all, I mean — you need to be careful. Because it sounds to me like you've been helping Stephen with a lot of stuff. Tutoring his friends, and studying with him, am I right?"

Hosuh nodded, not quite sure what to expect. But he trusted Pau, and was willing to hear whatever it was that seemed so important for her to have to tell him.

"And that's great, Hosuh. It's really nice of you to be so helpful. But I couldn't help noticing that all your interactions with Stephen that you've mentioned are mostly along the lines of one thing. Almost everything between Stephen and you has to do with school, or academics."

Hosuh frowned. He understood where Pau was coming from, and probably where she was going with what she was saying, but surely she was reading too much into this? Although... although she was right. Most of the time that he and Stephen spent together was studying, or being in class. And Hosuh was the one sharing his notes and lending Stephen his textbooks during lessons. But still, friends helped each other. And Stephen was his friend.

A tiny voice that Hosuh didn't want to acknowledge asked something in the back of his mind: _But why is Stephen your friend anyway? In terms of high school hierarchy, you guys are practically worlds apart._

Hosuh came back to the present to hear Pau saying, "... but you have to make sure that whatever's going between you guys is a two-way kind of thing, that he has no hidden incentive. I care for you, Hosuh. The last thing I'd want to do is mess up your friendship with Stephen. But take it from me that when the whole world seems rosy, you just can't see the red flags."

And Hosuh would've answered, if Pau's friendly cautioning hadn't unlocked a silent insecurity that he'd been trying to suppress since very early on. Hosuh had always wondered why Stephen would have befriended _him_ of all people. Sure, they'd been deskmates, but Stephen didn't seem to have crowds of ex-deskmates hanging out with him all the time. Hosuh himself was so different from Stephen's usual crowd, anyway. Under normal circumstances, they'd never have come within a solar system of each other, let alone have become friends. And besides—

"Hosuh, you good?" Pau waved a hand gently at him, her usual smile back on her face, "Hey, don't worry too much about what I said, okay? I'm sure this Stephen is a really nice person."

Hosuh returned her smile, the lighthearted conversation that they continued exchanging afterwards directly at odds with the turmoil that stirred beneath his surface. He couldn't stop hearing Pau's words, seeing the uncharacteristic seriousness in her eyes, the almost-hidden tremor in her voice at the last line of warning she'd spoken that had perhaps been an indication about her past. Pau was Hosuh's friend, albeit a new one, but that didn't give him any reason to doubt her when all she'd been to him was friendly and helpful.

Their gentle banter had carried on till it was time for both of them to leave. Hosuh's mind had still been reeling slightly, shifting at the influx of the new viewpoint Pau had provided him with. Everything she'd said could have been true. But then, Stephen was his friend. So, there was probably nothing wrong. Right?

Thoughts swirling, Hosuh had barely managed to catch Pau's smile and friendly goodbye, only just able to push out an almost-convincing "See you soon!" as she lifted her books into her arms and stood to leave as well.

And Pau swept her sketchbook shut, giving one last glimpse of a near hyper-realistic sketch she'd done. But Hosuh in question was too preoccupied with conflicting thoughts about a certain charming gang leader to make out the small drawing Pau had unwittingly made in the top corner of her sketchbook as she'd spoken her words of warning to him.

No, he was too far gone to notice the sketch in ink and pencil, of a snarling tiger, as the real apex predator made her way calmly out of the cafe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hosuh's got it pretty bad, huh?  
I know I mentioned to a couple of people in the comments of the previous chapter that the anonymous note would be revealed today, but umm... sorry. I wasn't lying on purpose, it's just that I'd initially planned on showing the contents of the letter in this chapter but it got changed at the last minute.  
But, uhh, next chapter. I promise. Anonymous letter.  
Still, not that you guys should worry about Hosuh or anything, but... you should probably worry for Hosuh. I'm sorry.  
Next chapter will come out on Monday, along with an announcement, but other than that, have a great weekend, everyone!!


	23. Fallout

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody!! Happy (almost) new year to all of you!  
Also, there's an announcement regarding my upload schedule in the second set of notes, please read it.

**Trigger Warning:**

Panic Attack, Mild Homophobia

Please don't read this chapter if you have had sensitive experiences with the above.

**[Sunday, Week 5]** ****

Stephen was worried sick.

The entire week, reports of The Monarch had been flooding in from his guys all over his sector. If The Monarch was really an indication that things were about to go wrong, Stephen knew he and his guys were probably in for a tumble. For all his bravado, he half expected the third World War to start taking place in his kitchen any day.

And then, barely ten minutes before Hosuh came over to study together, Dan had come running over, saying that The Monarch had been seen again. Just down the street.

As with all the occurences in Stephen's sector, The Monarch hadn't been doing anything. Stephen almost wished he had. At least that would've given him an idea of The Monarch's intentions.

Stephen ran a hand through his hair.

Nothing good would come of this.

———

Hosuh was sick of worrying.

He'd been unable to get Pau's words out of his mind since Friday. It hadn't helped at all when he'd gotten home to see that damned note still lying on the ground from the week ago, its message still unchanged, still as frighteningly malevolent as it had been when he'd first read it.

_He could have anyone he wanted. Don't you get the feeling that there might be a very specific reason he's chosen to approach you? You know who I'm referring to; watch yourself, because — as you can already tell — I know your address._

_And by the way, the receptionist in the general office of your little sister's middle school is _such_ a helpful lady._

_ \- T.M._

Initially tempted to hope that the letter wasn't meant for him, Hosuh had begun to understand why the words of the note been written in a very specific shade of purple.

Fighting with himself for the past day over the whole dilemma that Pau's well-intentioned advice had brought him, Hosuh had been alternating between being suspicious of Stephen's actions, promptly feeling guilty for it, and then trying to justify to himself that there was nothing to worry about.

And the anonymous note only added to Hosuh's mental turmoil. Someone clearly didn't want him around Stephen. But who? Who would know enough about Hosuh to be able to identify Ann's school?

And oh gods, Ann. Was she in danger? The veiled threat had been clear enough, and Hosuh couldn't risk telling someone about the note and possibly getting Ann into this whole mess. It wasn't like he had anyone to talk about to note to, anyway, when he didn't even know who had sent it. And even if—

"Shut_ up._" Hosuh rolled his eyes, lightly knocking the side of his head with the base of his palm to clear his thoughts.

Ignoring the strange look he got from a passer-by on the other side of the street, Hosuh quickened his pace. He was meeting Stephen that day to study together.

_"But it's not you who needs the help, is it?"_ the voice that Hosuh had been trying not to listen to for the past couple of days sneered, _"The only one who's benefiting from studying together is—"_

"Stop it. _Stop._" Hosuh shook his head, not wanting to finish the thought.

Closing the last few yard to Stephen's house, he was about to ring the doorbell, when the locking mechanism on the front doors clicked and opened from the inside.

Slightly surprised, Hosuh stepped back, brows knitting in confusion when Daniel stepped out of the house, "Dan?"

It took Dan a moment to react, finally looking up when he was all but right in front of Hosuh, "Oh, Hosuh. Hi. Stephen's— he's waiting for you."

Hosuh was about to comment on how tired Dan looked, when it occurred to him. It wasn't fatigue that had dulled Dan's reflexes and senses, it was distraction. And certainly, Dan's eyes were looking right through Hosuh, his mouth moving as if he was silently muttering words to himself.

With a hurried "Gotta go. See you.", Dan was off, down the sidewalk in a direction that Hosuh wasn't familiar with.

The front doors hadn't closed yet, and Hosuh grabbed the steel handles, pushing to keep them from shutting on him.

Leaving his sneakers on the shoe rack as always, Hosuh made his way into the living room, before noticing Stephen, back turned and oblivious of Hosuh's arrival as he climbed up the stairs that led to the second level of the house.

"Stephen! I—" Hosuh faltered slightly as Stephen turned to look from where he stood on the stairs, slight confusion written across his features, "I just bumped into Dan as he left, so I let myself in."

The silent lack of comprehension took a second to dissipate from Stephen's face, before he gave a small wave, smiling slightly as he made his way down the stairs again to greet Hosuh.

A sense of familiarity washed over Hosuh when Stephen finally came to a stop in front of him, purple locks ruffled as always, and his hands in the pockets of a gray hoodie. But then, Hosuh noticed the state that Stephen was in, and any form of relief at being around him again turned to worry.

Stephen's hair was particularly messy that day, standing up as if he'd ran his hands through it multiple times, the same hands that now clenched and unclenched at his sides, grasping nothing but thin air. Stephen's eyes were only partially focused on Hosuh, and he was bouncing slightly with nervous energy.

And Hosuh definitely hadn't been expecting the taller boy to lean in closer, eyes narrowing a little, before asking, "You alright, Hosuh?"

"What? I— yeah. Wait, why?"

"Dunno, you look kinda tired. Dark eye circles, slow reaction. Tripping on your words. Messily-tied hair," Stephen reached out to tidy a few stray strands of Hosuh's hair, raising an eyebrow deliberately.

Hosuh shied away a little, slightly self conscious, "Okay, fair. But how about you?"

Stephen gave a weaker version of his usual smirk, "Touché. Wanna head upstairs?"

Hosuh raised an eyebrow, "To study?"

"Well, you know, I figured that since we're both so out of it today," Stephen waved a hand at the both of them in demonstration, "Maybe we could just chill in my room and play some video games, y'know?"

"I've never been to the upstairs of your house before," Hosuh shrugged. He hadn't really felt much like studying that day either, "Sure, let's go."

Stephen smiled at him, not as energetic as always, but it was still a smile. And as Hosuh returned it, the two boys — both a little beaten down — locking eyes, he had the feeling that, troubling thoughts and all, it was good to be back by Stephen's side.

Hanging out upstairs would help Hosuh to unwind.

\- time skip -

Hosuh had been wrong.

Stephen's room was pretty spacious, and they were hanging out on a black couch at the far end of the room, sunlight shining in warmly on them as they played on Stephen's Xbox console. It was a game that Hosuh wasn't familiar with — gaming wasn't really a huge thing for him — and the mechanics were a little hard to get.

Eventually, Stephen felt bad for winning every single round, and they switched to watching Netflix. But with such a passive activity, Hosuh was left to spiral deeper into his conflicting thoughts.

Barely noticing the audio from the TV screen, Hosuh was busy twisting and turning the problem in his head. Pau's advice was only a warning, it didn't mean it was directly applicable in any situation. But everything she had said had also been right. Stephen and Hosuh's friendship was largely based around him helping Stephen — or his gang members — with academics. Which wasn't a bad thing. Was it?

Hosuh himself had been trying not to think about the question he'd been holding in for a long time till Pau's conversation with him had brought it to the front of his mind. He still didn't understand why Stephen would have chosen to be friends with him. It wasn't like Hosuh had been making any effort to be friendly to Stephen when they'd first met. Heck, he'd hit Stephen full in the face with a dodgeball. And still, Stephen had wanted to be his friend.

Slumping back against the couch, now oblivious to both the movie and Stephen's concerned sideways glances, Hosuh gave up on trying to make sense of the whole thing, just allowing his thoughts — regardless of how traitorous they might have been — to sweep him away.

If Hosuh was being honest, it made sense that Stephen asked him for help with school tests and all, despite not liking to study. After all, Stephen still needed to _pass_ his tests, even if he didn't ace them.

That would explain any ulterior motive Stephen might have had in befriending Hosuh. But it didn't cover the fact that Stephen was, according to Ann, "making moves".

Shai and Ivu had thought that Stephen probably liked Hosuh, and the other day, Pau had also agreed with what Ann had said, that Stephen almost definitely liked Hosuh back .

Hosuh frowned internally, feeling presumptuous to have assumed that Stephen would like him. They were just friends, and it was only Hosuh's own crush on Stephen that had made him think like this.

Too caught up in his own thoughts, Hosuh barely noticed Stephen shaking his shoulder gently, "Hosuh? Hey, you still there?"

Hosuh glanced up, still looking a little absent, mind only just beginning to process his surroundings.

Black couch. Purple cushions. Xbox console.

Stephen's room.

"I... yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, just a little more tired than usual," Hosuh gave an apologetic smile.

Stephen smiled back, pushing a hand through his violet hair, "Hey, no problem. It's just, you need to head back, now, right?"

Hosuh's eyes shot to his watch, "Oh. Yeah I— I need to go. Wow. Time sure flew."

Stephen grinned, "C'mon, let's get downstairs. I'm walking you home."

And with that, Hosuh immediately felt bad all over again for everything that he'd thought about while they were hanging out. He'd been so distant when Stephen had wanted to chill together; what kind of friend was he? Glancing up into those strange hazel eyes that seemed to look straight into him, Hosuh reassured himself. Stephen was his friend.

Barely a few minutes later, Hosuh found himself walking down the street beside Stephen, as they headed towards his house in what he hoped was companionable silence. Stephen looked uncharacteristically solemn, face drawn and eyebrows slightly knitted.

"Sorry that I was so out of it just now... you— you look a little angry," Hosuh murmured, distinctly guilty for being so absent earlier.

Needless to say, it was quite unexpected when Stephen quirked a brow and put an arm across Hosuh's shoulders as he tended to do recently, "Nah, I'm not mad. I've been pretty tired too, there's been a bit of stuff going on for the gang."

Hosuh relaxed a little under the now-familiar weight of Stephen's arm, before asking, a little concerned, "You guys haven't gotten into a fight or something, have you?"

At that, Stephen huffed a laugh, "A fight? In this economy? Nah."

Hosuh gave a chuckle; it felt good to joke around with Stephen again.

Hosuh had just opened his mouth to say something, when a woman who'd been walking down the street towards them raised a judgemental eyebrow at them. Immediately curling into himself under the homophobe's gaze, Hosuh found his face burning warm and eyes darting around with no place to land.

Stephen, however, gave a sharp scoff of dismissal, and pulled Hosuh a little closer to himself, shooting a blatantly unapologetic smirk at the lady as she passed them.

"You good? I know you're a bit more non-confrontational, but I wanted to give that bitch a shock," Stephen murmured, glancing down towards Hosuh.

But Hosuh could barely hear it over the thundering in his head.

Maybe it was the sudden panic from the homophobic lady, maybe it was the unexpected insult from Stephen's lips, far too reminiscent of Hosuh's own bad encounters with people who didn't accept him, but Hosuh locked up verbally, unable to reply.

Only one word repeated in his head like a set of warning alarms.

Non-confrontational.

Non-confrontational.

_"... You're so non-confrontational that someone could cheat on you and you'd let it slide so that they wouldn't get annoyed with you."_

And Hosuh couldn't help it, his mind moved before he could regain control, intrusive thoughts racing in, unwanted and near-deafening. As if it was the last piece to the puzzle that he'd been trying to wrap his mind around for the past few days, one thing came to his mind.

Just like the anonymous note said, Stephen — with his looks and personality — could have anyone he wanted. But Hosuh was useful. Very useful. Hosuh could help Stephen to do well academically. Even so, there were plenty of other high-scoring students around that Stephen could get to be his girlfriend or boyfriend, so why Hosuh?

_Because_, came the voice of Hosuh's traitorous mind, _Hosuh was non-confrontational._

Hosuh wouldn't cause a scene, if Stephen were caught cheating on him with someone else. Someone more attractive. Someone more socially adept. Someone that Stephen cared more for.

Everything clicked into place like a warped, cruel mockery of a jigsaw puzzle.

But what sent Hosuh's heart beating so fast that heat exploded across his body, his mind overloading as his breathing sped up, wasn't the twistedness of the conclusion that Hosuh had subconsciously drawn.

No, what horrified him to his core, sending chills up and down his overheating body, was that, for the tiniest fraction of a second, he believed it.

Hosuh shifted, blinking rapidly, Stephen's casual arm across his shoulders now a deadweight. Hosuh was pressed against Stephen's side, but he didn't want to be touching anything. He was simultaneously too big and too small and too slow. And yet his breathing raced ahead.

Already, guilt was pouring into him at the things he'd just thought about Stephen. How could he?

But Hosuh couldn't breathe, couldn't speak, when he was overloaded like that. When he was so bitterly torn between guilt at his own thoughts — how could he have ever thought something like that about his own friend? — and the rush of adrenaline in his blood that heralded his panic.

But what could he have done? What could Hosuh have done, when Stephen had turned his blindly panicking body, such that they were facing each other? Stephen was shaking him gently, hands on Hosuh's shoulders, but Hosuh didn't have to coherence to register what the boy with the locks of purple was saying.

And then Stephen's cool hands were being pressed against Hosuh's burning face, tilting him up just enough to see the panic in his silver eyes, see the unshed tears there. And maybe Hosuh would have welcomed the feeling of those strong hands against his cheeks and jaw any other time, those long fingers pressing gently at the back of his neck. But right then he couldn't breathe.

Right then, Hosuh couldn't get the words out. Couldn't say sorry for the disgusting, traitorous thoughts that had raced through his mind unwarranted. Couldn't do anything as Stephen shook him again, as hard as he dared to move the fragile boy. Stephen's lips were moving, probably asking if Hosuh was okay.

Hosuh was not okay.

His chest constricted, so tight and painful that his knees nearly buckled. He was half numb, but the pain woke him up. Hosuh gasped, lungs finally released, drinking in the air as fast as he could.

And with the air came clarity. Cold, unforgiving clarity.

Stephen's hands were still pressed against his face.

Too much. Still too much input.

And the hyperventilating started. Uneven, choking breaths of air, forcing their way in through his mouth in sharp gasps.

"Don't— don't touch me... like that," Hosuh choked out, barely speaking above a strained whisper.

"Hosuh...?" confusion flitted across Stephen's features, as he gently tilted Hosuh's face up again, trying to see his face.

And then came a wave of inexplicable desperation, verging on anger, rising up beyond the panic and distress and guilt.

"Don't touch me like that." Hosuh pushed Stephen's hands away, stumbling back.

And oh gods, that had come out so much more sharply than Hosuh had meant for it to. But he couldn't do anything about it, not while he was still shaking from the overdose of adrenaline, still able to feel his heartbeat pounding in his temples.

Vaguely registering the flash of undiluted pain in Stephen's eyes, Hosuh turned away, forcing himself to continue walking away from the boy with the crown of purple, the boy with the beautiful smile.

And halfway down the street, even as stilted breaths caught in his throat, Hosuh looked back. And for a single moment, he wanted to run back in the opposite direction, towards Stephen.

But then, the moment passed.

Hosuh, though not a religious person, had always wondered what Heaven might be like. A place of light and beauty. He'd always wanted that.

But there, in the middle of the street, as Hosuh saw Stephen for a split second, his mauveine hair more regal than any royal cloak, cheekbones gilded bronze by the sunset, and strange hazel eyes like burnished gold in the evening light — a lost kind of sadness written into the pain in his chiseled features — Hosuh found himself turning away from the closest he'd ever come to knowing a living angel.

And even then as he fought for breath, with every step on the path home, away from Stephen, Hosuh felt the sharp bitterness of tears that had nothing to do with his earlier panic, threatening to spill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I'm sorry. I hope you don't all hate me for this chapter.
> 
> Secondly, I mentioned an announcement. The school holidays have pretty much just ended, where I live. So, starting this week, I'll be cutting my uploads down to once a week, as opposed to every Monday and Friday. I'm not sure which day of the week I'll post, but I'll try to keep it as regular as possible. Sorry, everyone, there's just a lot of stuff that I'll have to deal with when the term starts again this week. Hope y'all can understand! Don't worry, though, I have no intention of abandoning this story. 
> 
> See you guys next week!!


	24. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody!! It feels like it's been so long, I've missed you all! Here's this week's chapter!!

**[Week 6]**

_"Don't touch me like that."_

The words haunted him.

_"Don't touch me like that."_

The sudden anger that had filled those usually-soft, moonlit eyes. The panicked urgency in the once-gentle hands that had pushed him away. The frustrated anger that had lain in the undercurrents of those words.

_"Don't touch me like that."_

Stephen rolled over, a breath rattling in his throat. He'd long since given up on brushing away the tears that wouldn't stop falling.  
Perhaps aeons had passed. He didn't care. Not when all that filled his mind was a listless sort of grief. Not when he couldn't stop thinking about what had happened on Sunday.

_"Don't touch me like that."_

Oh gods, Sunday.

At the time, he hadn't been sure what had happened, only that Hosuh had been panicking, and that Stephen didn't like it. No, Stephen didn't like the look of blind fear, of pained delirion on Hosuh's gentle features.

Stephen, completely unable to reach Hosuh, had been all but inches from panicking himself. Had he done something wrong? But Stephen hadn't cared about right and wrong, there hadn't been time to consider arbitrary concepts of humanity, when all that he'd wanted had been for the unmistakable look of pain in Hosuh's wide silver eyes to go away.

But maybe Stephen should have been more careful of what he wished for. Because when Hosuh's panic had dissipated, all that had been left in his eyes, was anger. Anger at Stephen.

And Stephen had never known such a feeling of loss as he had right then, as the boy of gentle moonshine turned, all but snapping at him, eyes turning cold through unshed tears. And still, Hosuh had been beautiful. Still, Stephen's breath had hitched at the sight of Hosuh, silver, and glowing with a sharpness like shards of stolen starlight.

Still, Stephen had been unable to stop staring, even as the boy of once-soft glow and glitter had turned away, even as Stephen's own world had tumbled down, already darkening; a night sky without any stars.

_"Don't touch me like that."_

Dreamless sleep took Stephen, over and over, intermittently alternating with unfocused glimpses of his bedroom's ceiling, the walls, his desk — all nothing more than a cruel reminder of the world that he didn't care for any longer.

_"Don't touch me like that."_

And there Stephen lay, as the Sun and Moon passed him by, days like millenia passing, sandpapered smooth and faceless by grief, mocking him as he stayed under his blankets, desperate for warmth, blinded by tears that came unexpectedly and left him empty and hollow.

_"Don't touch me like that."_

———

Hosuh shifted in his seat, far too aware of the presence of the empty chair beside him.

Stephen hadn't been in school for days.

Not that Hosuh would have had any idea how to approach him if he _were_ around. What would he have said? "Sorry that I freaked out on Sunday and snapped at you because I was confused over the possibility that you might actually be a self-serving manipulator who only associates with me because I'm useful to you."?

Hosuh sighed, lowering his head to the table in an attempt to block out the Chemistry teacher's droning.

If Hosuh was honest, he was also debating feigning illness to take a break from school for a couple days. But they were literally halfway through the term tests, and he needed the lessons.

Still, Hosuh was grateful when the bell rang, signalling the end of school for the day. Grabbing his bag, he made his way out of the campus.

Ivu and Shai had been worried about him for the past few days, but Hosuh hadn't been able to find it in him to make them worry about him when they still had to deal with all the ongoing graded assessments. He'd only given a tired smile, telling them that he hadn't been sleeping well because of all the stress from the tests.

It wasn't a total lie. True enough, shadows had settled under Hosuh's eyes recently, evidence of his poor sleep schedule. But it wasn't the school's tests that were causing him to worry.

The anonymous note that he'd gotten a while back was still on his mind. The sender of the note clearly hadn't wanted Hosuh around Stephen.

Well — Hosuh gave a dry laugh — that wasn't much of a problem anymore.

Hosuh doubted Stephen wanted much to do with him after the whole misunderstanding — which didn't seem like it was going to be cleared up very soon, either.

The only one who knew about what had happened on Sunday was Pau. Hosuh, after reaching home in his half-panicked state, had texted her, telling his new friend about everything that had happened. Of course, he'd conveniently not mentioned that her friendly words of warning at the café was what had caused him to start worrying in the first place.

Hosuh adjusted the strap of his schoolbag, remembering how he'd shown up to school on Monday, encouraged by his conversation with Pau from the night before, a little tentative but fully ready to apologize to Stephen and explain everything to him.

But Stephen hadn't been there.

Nor the next day.

Or even the day after that.

And honestly, Hosuh had given up hope of a resolution between Stephen and himself. Even as guilt and confusion still churned in him, all that Hosuh hoped was that whenever Stephen came back to school, they would be on civil terms.

The path home was lonelier than Hosuh remembered, and the absence of Stephen — who had been walking him home for over a month, already — was far more apparent than Hosuh would have admitted or was comfortable with.

But, he supposed, that would probably be the way things would have to be from then on.

Hosuh wasn't looking forward to having to explain the absence of a certain gang leader to Ivu and Shai or Ann. Especially not when he himself was still trying to get over the tang of pain every time he saw anything colored a certain shade of purple, every time he said something funny, and involuntarily imagined Stephen's trademark smirk.

Heck, Hosuh wasn't even sure if he would be ready to see Stephen back in school again, whenever he decided to return, but one thing was sure.

He hoped that the boy with the purple hair was alright.

Glancing around him at the neighborhood that didn't seem as beautiful as it used to have, Hosuh sighed.

He pulled out his phone, fingers moving on instinct from the past few days, to open his text chat with Pau, and started typing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Stephen has it bad.
> 
> And I'm sure most of you have heard about Stephen leaving DanPlan. I will be continuing this story though, hope nobody has any issues with it. Stephen deserves more, honestly. Well, here's hoping for an apology video or something from Dan.
> 
> Still, as per the new upload schedule, I will only be posting once a week. Most of my days right now are very busy, and I've been staying back in school till about 6pm. I'll try to give you all a consistent upload day once my schedule has evened out. Rest assured, though, I will get a chapter out every week for y'all or die trying. School's pretty much already back in full swing. I'm taking an Art elective this year which is both exhilarating and stressful, so if anyone has any advice, I'll need it. I'd forgotten how busy term time gets, dammit.
> 
> Anyway, I know it's been almost two weeks since I've updated, and I'm really sorry if any of you were worried that I had stopped posting. That's not what's happening; I'm just really busy right now and trying to get back into the routine of having to stay on campus late for school stuff almost every day. Still, as always, feedback is super appreciated, and it's great to see you all again, it's been far too long. Hope y'all enjoyed the chapter, and see you guys next week!


	25. Desolate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody!! Here's the weekly update!

**[Week 6, Thursday]**

A phone is ringing, somewhere.

She reaches over to answer it, the green button waiting to be pressed, as her ringtone trills impatiently. She knows who's calling.

Her speech is almost jarring in the near silence, "Hello?"

A familiar voice comes over the line, _"It's me. Report on Friday?"_

"Met with him, had coffee and all. Told him a bunch of stuff, made it seem like I was really worried about him and all. But then that's where it gets interesting. He went and took me so dead serious that literally two days later, he came back, texting me that he'd been so confused and anxious about the whole thing that he somehow managed to have a fall out with Stephen Delanore."

A derisive scoff, _"Then, why should we care? If the target's not playing any part in Stephen Delanore's life anymore, he's no use to us. I'll start preparing to go after_—"

"No, but — with the way things have happened — the situation's worked out even better than we could have expected it to go."

_"What do you mean?"_ the question comes after a slight pause.

"I mean, that we can still use my target. From what he tells me, it was a very messy break. He's been texting me incessantly the past few days about how guilty he is and what he should do. My target clearly still cares about him. And he mentioned that Stephen Delanore hasn't been going to school since Sunday. I took some time to scope out the Delanore household, and it's true. Stephen Delanore hasn't left the house for days. Neither have any of his associates gone in."

_"And your point?"_

"My point is that, Stephen Delanore's just as affected by this as my target. He's been moping around his house all day, and not even leaving to buy groceries or anything. Nobody's gone in either, so he's not getting any gang meetings done during the entire week that he's barricaded himself in. He's been completely inactive. That's as much of a testament to my target's significance to him as anything."

_"So, you're saying that there's no need to change the plan."_

"Exactly. From what my target's been saying about the day of the fall out, he just panicked, snapped at Stephen Delanore, and fled. Meaning that Stephen Delanore doesn't know what he did wrong, and is still guilty about it, and most likely sad, if him staying in his house for a full week and not doing anything is any indication."

_"And you're absolutely sure of this? We only get one chance on the night of execution."_

"Positive. This is an angle that we didn't manage to predict beforehand, but it is something that will work better than what we'd expected to happen."

_"Fair enough. I'll still need continuous updates from you. The next time you meet your target will be execution night, if he doesn't ask for your company before that."_

"Got it."

The line goes dead.

The phone is slipped into her pocket, she doesn't need it right now.

She has time to kill.

———

It's almost surprising when the doorbell rings.

Still, he can't bear the thought of going out to meet people. He nestles deeper in the blankets that have been his haven for the past few grief-distorted days.

But, whoever is at the door is persistent.

They ring again.

And again.

And—

For once in a very long while, an emotion other than sadness or guilt stirs up in him — annoyance — as he covers his ears, moving to his window to glance out at the doorstep.

It's been a while since he's stood up, his balance is a little off. A growl low in his throat, he pulls back the curtains, the velvet fabric alien under his fingers after days of running them through his hair.

The sunlight is blinding.

He looks towards the front of the house, a fresh wave of pain rearing its head when his mind inadvertently expects to greet the sight of a petite boy with gentle hands and a soft voice. But no such person waits at the front door. Instead, it's two tall boys, waving their hands around animatedly at each other, arguing as they ring the doorbell over and over again. Their green and fucking lemon yellow hair are almost worse than the direct sunlight.

He draws the curtains again, debating going back to bed and leaving them to give up.

Whatever, he decides as he heads downstairs to open the front door, they'd probably continue ringing the bell for hours before leaving.

\- POV switch -

"I told you, he's not gonna answer the bell," Jay shook his head, blond hair shifting with the motion, "We should just go 'round to the back, I can pick the lock of the back door."

Dan folded his arms stubbornly, "He absolutely hates the sound of his doorbell, he'll come out sooner or later. Besides—"

A whir and click sounded from the door, and it swung open.

"Get in." came the ever-familiar voice of their friend.

Stephen was standing in front of them, wrapped in his purple duvet, and hair flopping over his forehead. It would've almost been cute, if it hadn't been ridiculously obvious that Stephen hadn't washed his hair or cleaned his house or even slept well in ages.

Jay shrugged, testing the waters, "I've missed you so much that I would even give you a hug, but I don't particularly feel like catching eight different deadly diseases right now."

Stephen only sat down on the ground, blanket burrito and all.

Already walking off in the direction of the kitchen, Dan called back, "I'll get some stuff to clean the house, you get him in the shower."

Sitting down on the ground of the foyer too, Jay looked at Stephen, "So, what is it this time? What's got you like this? Gods, I just _know_ you haven't showered in probably a week. C'mon, I'll listen to you tell me all about it when you've finished bathing and your hair actually looks purple again."

Stephen just bared his teeth, albeit quite dejectedly, and shook his head.

"Dude, we gotta wash your sheets. Look, if you give me the blanket now, we might be able to have it done before you sleep again tonight, okay? I know that's your favorite one," Jay stood up, holding out a hand for Stephen's burrito wrap.

Stephen didn't move.

"Look, I don't care if you only have shorts on inside, or you're just fucking full-on naked. Gimme the blanket and go shower for the first time in what seems like days, or I'm using your dumbass meme of a full name."

Jay almost missed it when Stephen murmured, the tiniest smile audible in his voice, "You wouldn't even get the order of all my last names right."

Jay rolled his eyes good-naturedly as Stephen finally stood, passing him the blanket, to reveal a shirt and sweatpants underneath, giving a worryingly defeated version of his trademark smirk, "Not naked this time."

"Oh yeah, wow, _what_ a terrible shame," Jay replied dryly, relieved — though he'd deny it — to have gotten any form of a positive reaction from Stephen, "Get your ass upstairs and in the shower. You can cry more while you wash your hair, but not before. Move, or I'll get Dan to get in the shower with you."

Stephen swore under his breath, all but running to the bathroom, pretending — _desperately_ pretending — that he was running because Jay's threat had been effective, even as tears burned, bitter and familiar in the back of his throat. A moment longer of standing there with Jay, masquerading that he still had some semblance of normalcy in him, and the grief that Stephen had been fighting back would have taken him.

Uneven breaths forced themselves down Stephen's throat, even as he shook his head wildly, desperate not to let his tears fall till he was out of sight, till the sounds of the shower drowned out his choking gasps of air.

The water was warm, hot even, as Stephen all but stumbled into the shower, half-blinded by the tears that had just begun to fall. And there was a bitter sort of satisfaction, as he shivered involuntarily under the near-scalding water, as his tears mixed with the steady stream that came from the shower, that his friends wouldn't have to see him like this.

No, Stephen told himself. He would have his fill of grief while he was hidden like this, and when he went out to face his friends, they wouldn't have to know.

And so, as days of pain and dirt were washed from his face and skin, as still more tears escaped his eyes, Stephen Delanore wept again for the loss of the boy with the moonlit locks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst.
> 
> That's it, that's the chapter.
> 
> I swear everything will get better in a couple of chapters, but for now... Stephen just needs a hug. He's got it real bad. Still, for now, he's quite a legendary mess. I promise all the fluff when the reunion happens. And Hosuh will be back next chapter.
> 
> Although I can't promise that the next chapter will be coming very soon. It will definitely be next week, but y'all may have to wait for Friday, if I can't manage to find the time before that. I hate being so busy, especially because I've gotten so little writing done this week, but you gotta do what you gotta do, I guess.
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated in the comments, it's great knowing what you guys think of the story. Thanks to everybody for sticking around even though it's been real angsty, and the updates are slower now! It really does mean a lot. See you all next week!!


	26. Arrangement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!! It’s me again!

**[Sunday, Week 6]**

Hosuh was not looking forward to school.

The weekend was ending, but Hosuh would have been quite comfortable, staying as he was on his bed, sprawled on his back like a starfish, hair undone.

He hadn't seen Stephen in a week.

Hosuh frowned, dragging a tired hand down his face. He wasn't sure if he was still sad about the fallout that had happened between him and Stephen, or if he was angry at himself for still thinking about it. One thing was for sure, though.

Hosuh wasn't okay.

He grabbed his phone off of his nightstand, quickly moving to dial — as he seemed to do so often, recently — Pau's number. If there was anyone he could go to for advice, it was her. Pau always knew what to do.

The dial tone droned continuously, and Hosuh was just about to give up and end the call when a distorted click sounded, and Pau's voice came over the line, "Hello?"

"Hey, Pau," Hosuh smiled a little, the thoughts in his head moving at a slightly more sedate pace, already more calm upon having Pau's company.

A good-natured laugh came through, "Hi, what's up? Sorry, I was busy putting a tray of cookies in the oven."

"It's just," Hosuh sighed, "the whole thing with Stephen."

When Pau spoke again, her tone was discernibly more serious, "What's the matter? Anything I can do?"

"It's been a full week already, and we're almost definitely not going to get to resolve this issue," Hosuh explained, shrugging even though Pau couldn't see him, "but I keep thinking of him. And sometimes I miss Stephen, but then, I get angry at myself for missing him because this whole misunderstanding is kinda my fault. And I should be clearing it up, but I'm not."

"So, you do _want_ to apologize, right?"

"I— yeah. Yeah, I do want to. I just wanna explain everything and tell him how I was panicking because I was so confused, and that I'm not angry at him. You know?"

"And, is there a reason why you're not apologizing? Even though I can tell that you really want to set the record straight?" Pau asked carefully, her voice gentle as always.

"Well... because— because Stephen hasn't been contacting me. And he's gone as far as to skip school. So I'm pretty sure he still doesn't want to see me. I don't want to make him feel worse by going and seeking him out when he isn't ready to talk to me."

Hosuh couldn't see Pau, but he could imagine her nodding matter-of-factly as she replied, "Exactly. It's not your fault for not apologizing to Stephen yet, because you're only being considerate towards him. He isn't ready to see you right now, which is why you haven't approached him to clear up the issue yet. And it's not like you _don't_ want to make up with him, because you just told me that you do. Don't worry, Hosuh. You haven't done anything wrong."

Hosuh listened thoughtfully. What Pau had said made sense.

He smiled slightly, head a lot clearer than it had been before. Coming to Pau for help had been the right choice.

Hosuh was about to thank Pau when she gave an yelp of surprise on the other end of the line, "I forgot about the cookies!"

The small smile that Hosuh had been wearing grew into a full-blown grin as the distinctive "thunk" of Pau's phone being dropped on a solid surface came over the line, and loud exclamations of "Where the heck did I leave the mittens?" and "Crap, that's hot!" could be heard.

A minute or so later, Pau returned to the phone, sounding recognizably frazzled, "Sorry about that."

Hosuh gave a chuckle, "It's fine; how are the cookies?"

"Slightly burned." Pau had probably scrunched up her nose, judging by the small change in her voice.

"Just like how Mama used to make," Hosuh joked, feeling a slight sense of success when Pau's laughter exploded over the phone.

"Honestly, you should come over one of these days, so that we can chill and stuff, maybe bake together, y'know?" Pau asked, a smile still audible in her voice.

Hosuh raised an eyebrow; that'd be nice. Better than staying at home with no company but his thoughts.

"Yeah, sure, which day's free for you?" he asked, already excited to hang out.

"How 'bout Thursday?"

Mentally checking his calendar, Hosuh answered, "Thursday... yeah, Thursday's fine. It'll have to be in the late afternoon or evening-ish, though."

"Sounds good," came Pau's voice, agreeable as usual, "I'll text you the details or something, gotta go put the cookies in a container now; they've just cooled."

"Okay, see you," Hosuh replied, "Enjoy your burned cookies!"

Hosuh hung up, laughing at the last traces of Pau's indignant reaction that came over the line.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hosuh’s back in the story!! Okay, admittedly, this chapter didn’t cover much. But I promise you guys that the next chapter will be far more exciting. You might wish it weren’t, though. 
> 
> I can’t promise that everyone will be unharmed. But then again, that’s why we have recovery fluff, of which I promise tons. Once the conflict is over. Promise. 
> 
> Just a heads up: The next chapter may be a little late, because it’s a very long one. I will probably break it into two parts, but it may still take a while, what with tests already round the corner. But I promise that this story will continue. Don’t freak out. 
> 
> Still, thanks to every single one of you for sticking around even through the drama in the fandom and the angst of this story!! I know I’ve said it before, but you guys are the best. I never thought my story about two lovable dumbass gays would be able to come so far. We’re so near the end!! You’re all amazing and thanks so much for all the support so far!


	27. Execution: Part I - Awaken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just... buckle up. 
> 
> You’re not gonna like me for this.

**[Thursday, Week 7]**

It had been a good day.

For all intents and purposes, Dan had been having a good day. He'd finished all his schoolwork for the week, even got some studying done for the test coming up right after the weekend. He'd leaned back in his desk chair, subconsciously comforted by the familiar sound of his parents watching TV downstairs. He'd headed out his door, casually flipping the light switch as he contemplated joining Elias, who — by the sound of it — was playing a video game in his room next door.

But then, Dan's phone had rung.

It wasn't a number he'd saved, or recognized.

He answered the call, putting the phone to his ear with a quick, "Hey, who is this?"

Dan frowned a little when a voice that he'd never heard before replied, but his confusion quickly turned to something infinitely darker, even as the feminine voice on the other end spoke, "I'm guessing you just left your room; the light just switched off. Hello, by the way. I'm afraid you won't be leaving your house anytime tonight. I know you're in there — you haven't left since you came home from school a few hours ago.

"As you can probably already tell, I'm right outside your house. I'm waving right now, actually, if you'd come to the window. Don't worry, I don't bite. But if you take even a single step out the front door, I have people ready to bust in on a moment's notice. And believe me, when I say that they're wielding things far more painful than any bite I could give.

"Hope we don't have too many problems with each other. Because, your parents and little brother are in the house too, right? It would be such a shame if they were to get hurt, just because you can't listen to instructions. Also, I couldn't care less about who you call. Actually, go right ahead and tell your little gang leader about me. And honestly, please just make this entire night shorter for the both of us, and leave your house. I'd love to knock you unconscious — or worse — and have this whole thing over with."

And with a distorted click, the line went dead.

Even as ice coated his veins, even as panic ripped through his half-disbelief, Dan re-entered his room, and walked to the window. True enough, outside, in the last dregs of evening light, a girl, with bright pink hair and a white surgical mask, waved up at him.

Her eyes — the only visible part of her face — crinkled in a smile.

———

Jay sighed.

On all accounts, it had been a bad day.

Especially because of— Jay sighed again, unwilling to finish the thought, only glancing over at the subject of his worry, and concerned frustration.

Emphasis on "frustration".

Stephen was sitting motionlessly on the ground, his purple duvet — finally having been washed and dried a couple days ago — lying beside him in an abandoned heap on the floor.

Despite Stephen's efforts to seem unaffected over the last week, Jay knew the telltale signs of forcedly hidden grief better than anyone. Seeing through Stephen's masquerade — his desperate attempts to hide how badly he'd been affected by the whole thing from Dan and Jay — hadn't been too hard.

Jay had thought his heart couldn't have ached more for his friend. Those tiny moments where Stephen's emotions came a little too close to the surface, when those hazel eyes filled with a near-agonizing sadness. Those moments in which Stephen fought to look like he had control of himself. Those moments that Jay had never addressed, for the sake of his friend, who was fighting so damned hard.

But now?

It was worse. So much worse.

Gone were the instances where Stephen had to struggle to hide a tremor in his voice. Gone were those traces of emotion — any emotion. Gone was the Stephen who stared out of the windows of his own home, too caged by grief to go anywhere, but desperate not to feel trapped.

And all that was left was hollowness.

There was no more need to coax Stephen to eat his food, no more need to convince, cajole, or threaten him to go and wash his hair. Everything was done, monotonously, and mechanically. Any attempts at conversation were ignored. Any suggestion of going back to school was met with a dead stare. The rare occasions when Stephen did talk only left Dan and Jay far too aware of the ever-growing, terrible emptiness in Stephen's voice.

"We're meeting the guys in half an hour. You have to go for that, at least." Jay started, almost wincing upon hearing his own voice break the overly long reign of silence.

His back facing Jay, Stephen didn't move, except for a single, resolute shake of his head.

"Dude, I get that you've been real down lately, but they're waiting for you," Jay reasoned, moving to sit beside Stephen, before getting no reaction and trying again, "Look, you're the gang leader for a reason. You really should show up, at least."

Jay wasn't sure what reaction he'd been expecting. More head-shaking, probably. Or — as a best case scenario — a half-hearted nod of agreement, perhaps.

So it was safe to say that Jay definitely hadn't been banking on the fire in the gaze that Stephen had shot him, an old venom resurfacing in his voice after days of emotionlessness, as he hissed, "And you're my second-in-command for a reason. If you would just do your fucking job, you wouldn't have to bother me."

And perhaps Jay hadn't meant to snap. But he did.

"You're talking to me about doing _my_ job? I, for one, have been actually going to school during the periods of time that I can't be here to babysit you. I've done my rounds around the sector, taken reports and all, goodness knows I've held down the fort for over a week now, without complaining. I have to come and play housekeeper for you almost every day. I get that it's sucky to have your heart broken, and I can promise you that no one understands your desolation better than I do.

"But for goodness _fucking_ sakes, get up and pull your damn life together, Stephen. I'm not the one who has to start doing his job. You're a gang leader, so act like it. Guess who's been seen hanging around outside Hosuh's house for the past week? That's right, The damn Monarch guy himself has decided to get _directly_ involved in the whereabouts of your darling schoolboy. And you would know that, if you actually cared enough to deal with what's been going on recently. Hosuh's one of your associates, and would be an easy target for anyone trying to hurt you. Who fucking knows what kind of bullshit Hosuh might have been dragged into, without you or any of us around to keep tabs on how he's been doing?"

And as bad as Jay felt for letting the harsh words pour out so unrelentingly, it worked. It took a moment or two for Stephen to catch the full meaning of the words, but damn if he didn't react faster than lightning immediately after the information registered.

Stephen whipped around, his back ramrod straight, eyes blazing with a clarity that Jay hadn't seen in far too long, "The Monarch has been sighted around Hosuh's house? Just standing around, or was he doing something? How often, and who were the ones who saw it happen? Call in the rest of the guys in our quadrant; I want detailed reports of each known sighting, down to the time of the day and all."

Jay nodded, already moving into action as he murmured, "I'll call Dan fir—"

Stephen's phone rang.

The insipid pop song that he'd set to herald Daniel's calls all but erupted from his pocket, jarring in the near silence. He turned the phone to show Jay the caller ID, "Guess I beat you to it."

Ignoring the indignant face Jay made, Stephen answered the call, bringing his phone to his ear, "Yeah? What's going on?"

"Look, man, you're gonna have to get serious for this one. You've been pretty out of it for a week now, but I wouldn't bother you if it wasn't something important," came Dan's voice, low and urgent.

It hit Stephen like a freight train: Dan wasn’t sure if Stephen would care.

Even as shame burned at his cheeks, Stephen forced the words out, "No, yeah, I'm listening. I'm... I'm me."

Maybe it was the confidence in his words that hadn't been there for a while, maybe Daniel could tell that Stephen's mind was in a coherent state for once in a very long while, but Dan continued speaking, "Okay. Great. I— fuck. Stephen, listen. I'm being held hostage in my own house."

Every thought in Stephen's mind at that moment came screeching to a stop, "You're... wait. Say that again."

"I. Am. Being. Held. Hostage."

Stephen pressed a pair of fingers to his nosebridge, trying to quell the rushing in his brain, "Details. First of all, are you hurt?"

"No. Not now. They say that I can do whatever I want, call anybody for help, as long as I don't leave the house. Because somehow, they know about how my parents and Elias are in right now. From what they said, they've been around since before I returned from school. And they've got people surrounding the house. They'll hurt Elias if I don't listen," Dan's voice shifted, turning brittle despite his attempts to hide it, "There's no chance of me finding a way to get all of us out of the house without them catching up."

"Do you know who this person is?" Stephen furrowed his brows, trying to catch all the information at once.

"No. They're anonymous. Surgical mask and all," the hopelessness was tangible in Dan's voice.

"Wait, Dan, you can see them from where you are? Describe them."

"Well, it's a girl, I know that much. Pink hair. Pale skin. A bit on the short side. That's as much as I can get. It's dark right now, but I can see where she is. She's just standing there. She made a phone call a couple minutes ago. Seemed pretty serious. I'm hoping she wasn't calling for backup."

Stephen ground his teeth, frustrated at himself for having been so out of the loop for such a long time, "I don't care if she was calling for backup. But we are. I'll get in Odd's guys. We'll come get you. Stay where you are, and don't negotiate anything with them. They're not to be trusted."

"Understood." Dan answered, and Stephen could practically imagine the serious nod that would have accompanied the reply.

Hanging up, and turning to Jay, Stephen shook his head, "We've got trouble. Tell Odd to bring his guys, and get everybody from our quadrant. I'll explain after."

———

Hosuh loved the place.

Big, squishy beanbags along one wall. Pretty accent cushions on a soft couch. A row of little, roundish stuffed toys along a shelf. Knitted pastel throws. And—

"Hey, umm... I just realized we're missing a couple things. I'll head out and buy them right now, if that's okay. I swear I'll be back quick," a voice snapped Hosuh out of admiring the interior of the cosy apartment he was in.

Hosuh glanced up to see Pau, tiptoeing from checking the highest cupboards in her kitchen, looking pretty apologetic about having forgotten some of the ingredients.

"Oh, yeah, no problem. Do you need me to come along?" Hosuh offered, already mentally saying goodbye to the accent cushions as he stood up to accompany Pau.

She waved him away, "Nah, nah, it's alright. It's already pretty dark out, and you don't know the area so well. Can't have you accidentally getting lost. Besides, it's only a couple items; I'll manage."

"Well, if you're sure," Hosuh replied, shrugging, "I'll just wait here. All alone. Abandoned by my friend."

Pau laughed as she fetched her purse from another room, "I promise it'll be fast! I already feel like such a bad host...!"

Hosuh waved goodbye, chuckling good-naturedly as Pau made a big show of grabbing her phone and rushing out the door to wear her shoes.

And with the exit of his newest friend's bubbly personality, Hosuh was left alone, still laughing a little as he picked up the couch cushion with green and gold stripes — it was his favorite — and unlocked his phone.

And if he had glanced out of the window, he would have been able to see none other than Pau, phone held to her ear, as she headed out of the apartment complex.

She was speaking quickly over the phone, "He's in my house. Thinks he's only there to bake, hang out; doesn't suspect a thing. You're in position, right?"

A familiar voice — a voice of a friend — replied, _"Yes. And you're on your way to deliver the message now?"_

"Yeah, he thinks I'm buying ingredients. No chance of him running off, either, because I live in a place that's completely unfamiliar to him. He wouldn't know his left from right, especially not that this time of evening," Pau quickened her pace, dodging the light of a streetlamp on instinct.

_"Okay, good. Drop the message, and leave immediately. Don't get recognized or caught."_

"On it."

———

Stephen paced the room, practically wearing a path through his fur carpet as he waited for Hosuh to pick up the phone.

The phone was ringing, and it was nearly eight in the evening, and Stephen was getting worried, and it was fully dark outside, and Hosuh should have been at home with his phone right next to him, so why wasn't he picking up—

The dialtone stopped with a click, as Hosuh's voice came over the line with a quick "Hi?", slightly wary, but so familiar that Stephen had to remind himself why he'd called.

"Hosuh, hey. I— Look, it's hard to explain, but there's almost no time right now. Well, it's— fuck. Have you seen anybody suspicious around your house recently?" Stephen asked, haste causing him to trip over his words. He needed to know if Hosuh had been involved, or had any clue as to what was going on.

"I— what? A suspicious person around my house? Stephen, why is this—"

Almost flinching at the exasperated incredulity in Hosuh's voice, Stephen only answered, practically begging, "Hosuh. It's important. Please."

"Well, I... no. Nobody suspicious. Stephen, what's going on?" Hosuh's voice lacked the frustration it had held before, and he now sounded confused, and perhaps a little worried — for Stephen.

"Nothing, it's just— nothing. Don't worry about it. It's just... I know this is weird, but if there's anyone strange who shows up near your house — especially if they're wearing stuff that covers their face like a mask or a cap or something — call me. There's been something going on recently, and I need to make sure that you haven't been targeted."

The urgency in Stephen's voice must have shown, because Hosuh had softened a little, the next time he spoke, "Okay, I'll contact you if anything weird happens. Thanks for... thanks for looking out for me."

Even though Hosuh's tone was still guarded, still more formal than Stephen would have liked, the hint of Hosuh's ever-familiar gentleness that had returned to his voice was enough to send relief crashing its way through Stephen's being, even as he reluctantly prepared to hang up, "Well, if there's nothing else, I have something to deal wi—"

"Wait, I— I got... this seems so silly," Hosuh huffed a laugh at himself, "but I got a note a while back. It was anonymous, and I didn't recognize the handwriting. I'm just wondering if that's of any help to you...?"

"An anonymous note? Not signed at all? And you're saying that it was handwritten?" Stephen was bolt upright, practically standing at attention as every thought in his brain silenced to home in on what Hosuh was saying.

"It was— yeah. The note was written, not typed. I found it a little strange, too. Usually if it's anonymous, people don't reveal their handwriting," Stephen could practically imagine the little frown that was on Hosuh's face just then; one he'd seen so often when they had puzzled over Chemistry together, "And it was on my window. The note, I mean. It was stuck to the outside. I don't know how it got up there."

Stephen was buzzing with nervous energy, the adrenaline pushing one particular thought right to the front of his head, "Okay, but was the note signed, Hosuh? I need to know; did the writer of the note sign off? Any name or initials?"

And then came the damning words, "Yes. It was... It was just a 'T' and an 'M'. "

Stephen's blood turned icy, even as he double checked, "You're sure? No doubt about it?"

"Yep."

Stephen swore under his breath, murmuring a quick apology to Hosuh for the strong language, before finally saying, "Okay, you've officially been contacted by the guy that my gang is trying to deal with right now. If you get any more notes like that, or you see somebody weird around your house, tell me immediately. From now on, it'd probably be a good idea for you to have company wherever you go, as much as possible. Speaking of which, are you at home right now?"

Stephen noticed the slight hesitation before Hosuh replied, "Well, no. But I'm with a friend right now, so I should be safe."

Maybe Stephen was being paranoid, he didn't care, "Are you sure? Becau—"

The fucking doorbell rang.

Not helping his mood.

Stephen ran a hand through his hair, "Look, it's— I just— stay safe, Hosuh. Seriously. I don't want you getting caught up in all this."

"Don't worry about me, Stephen. You have a lot to deal with. I'll be safe, at least for now," there was a slight smile in Hosuh's voice.

"Alright, yeah. I gotta answer the door right now. But, call me. If anything happens, I mean."

After a quick goodbye from Hosuh's end, Stephen hung up, shoving his phone in his pocket as he headed to the front door. Who in their right mind would be ringing the damn bell this late in the day?

Stephen gripped the door handles and pulled, "Whoever this is had better have one hell of a reason for making me answer the door at half past eigh—"

Nobody was there.

Stephen flipped off the empty air, figuring it had probably been a stupid kid's prank, and was about to head back in when he noticed a slip of paper on the ground.

Already having a suppressed inkling of what it was, Stephen reached down to pick it up, his hands less steady than he would have liked, and read it.

_Whitewood Residences, Block 09, Unit 04-06._

_Thought you would like to know where Hosuh Leblanc is._

_He has no idea that he's being held captive — he's been treated so well. Although, that may change, if you don't come and save him soon enough._

_And if you're wondering, we are the same people who have your second-in-command. We'll leave it to you to speculate how many people we have, guarding each of your "friends". You can save one, or attempt to save both._

_ \- Twin Monarchs_

———

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I did just end on a cliffhanger. I’m sorry (maybe).
> 
> Okay just to clear things up: Stephen and his guys have been assuming that “T.M.” stands for “The Monarch”. Clearly that isn’t true, anymore. The note was signed with a purpose, so it’s a bit of a clue to y’all. 
> 
> Anyway, umm, this chapter came out late. And I’m really sorry. I was really busy this week. I know I’ve mentioned before that I don’t usually update on weekends, because it’s hard. This is only happening because I felt really bad about making y’all wait. If I miss an update in the future, you guys can expect the chapter to come out the following Monday. 
> 
> But uhh, if you’re not too mad at me for this chapter, it’d be great to hear your thoughts in the comments...!! I’d love to know if there’s anything I can improve on. See you guys next week!! Have a great Sunday!


	28. Author’s Note: NOT A CHAPTER (sorry)

Uhmm, hi.

This isn’t a chapter, as you probably already know. I know I promised that there would be a chapter coming out on Friday, but I’m afraid you guys might have to wait a while longer.

The story isn’t on hiatus or anything, it’s just gonna take me a while to get the next few chapters out, so it may be a wait of two or three weeks rather than a weekly chapter from now on. 

I’m really sorry; I wouldn’t do this unless I had to. It’s been real busy at school recently with tests going on and I hate to make you all wait so long. I’ll try my best to get the updates out as fast as possible, but I can’t give you guys a consistent upload schedule right now.

However, I _can_ absolutely promise that no matter how long it takes for each chapter to be written and posted, this story will be finished, god dammit. Everybody’s been waiting for the happy ending, and there is no damned way in hell that I’m abandoning this here.

Thanks to all of you for sticking with me, you’re all the best, seriously. I hope you guys can understand.


	29. Execution: Part II - Concentric

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, um... shit goes down.

**Trigger Warning:**

Use of Sleeping Drugs to Cause Forced Unconsciousness 

Please don't read this chapter if you have had sensitive experiences with the above.

**[Thursday, Week 7]**

Hosuh glanced up from his phone, smiling when the door unlocked and Pau came in.

"Sorry it took so long... anything happen while I was gone?" she grinned apologetically, already setting down the bag of groceries and unpacking them.

"Not really... I mean, your stuffed animals over there got some head pats and hugs from me, but that's it," Hosuh gave a small grin, leaning over to look at the groceries, "But what did you buy?"

Pau held up a bag of icing sugar. "It's cocaine. Want some?"

Hosuh laughed, replying with a teasing smile, "Wow... such a bad influence. You're so shady."

"What, does that mean you _don't_ want to snort this till you see rainbows?" Pau fought back a chuckle, trying to keep a straight face for the sake of the joke.

"Aren't we supposed to be baking...?!" Hosuh asked, waving his arms in mock distress, which sent both of them into a series of cackles.

Until Hosuh's phone rang and made them both jump, which caused another small wave of giggles, before Hosuh saw the caller ID, and any traces of mirth were wiped from his face.

"I've gotta... can I— let me just take this call; I'll be right back." Hosuh sent Pau an apologetic smile, gesturing to indicate that he'd answer his phone in another room.

Turning away to head to a different room in the apartment, finger already tapping the button to pick up the call, Hosuh completely missed the grin that Pau gave as he walked away.

The grin of a predator who knew every step that its prey took.

Just out of Pau's earshot, in a fashionably-designed study, Hosuh was confusedly trying to answer the questions that Stephen sent his way.

"My friend? I met her at the library near school a couple times. We went out for coffee once. Why? Is something wrong, Stephen?" Hosuh asked, a little unnerved, and feeling like something was creeping up behind him.

"It's— it's complicated, Hosuh. Can you describe your friend to me? Does she have a name?" came Stephen's voice, serious and commanding and worried all at the same time.

"Well, I call her Pau. I've always figured it was a nickname or something. Her appearance... well, she isn't very tall. Fair skin, kinda pale. Oh, and she has pink hair. Yeah, that's a big one," Hosuh replied, trying to be as helpful as possible with the details.

Stephen was silent for a long time.

Finally he spoke again, voice slightly shaky for a reason Hosuh couldn't understand, "Look, Hosuh. Your friend, Pau? Your safety might depend on what you do next. So listen. Don't let her know that you've spoken to me. Act normal, and just... don't piss her off. Okay? I know it's a lot to handle, but, I'll figure everything out, alright?"

"I— Stephen— what do you... what is this? Why is— I'm so confused," Hosuh murmured, tilting his head up to stare at the ceiling.

"I know, Hosuh. Believe me, I'm not too sure what's going on either. But I'll come get you, I swear. Don't forget anything I've told you."

And with that, the line clicked and went dead, leaving Hosuh all alone to weave a web of lies around the spider who was hunting him.

He stepped out of the room, forcing a look of joking frustration onto his own face, ready to complain to Pau about how a "classmate" had called him for "group work".

For his own sake, Hosuh would have to be convincing enough.

Because he was all alone.

———

Stephen hung up, and ran a hand through his hair, "What the complete, bloody fuck?"

"What is it?" Jay asked, from where he sat with the rest of the guys.

They were all at the warehouse, having converged as soon as they'd gotten the calls from Jay. Lin, Cas, Jo, all of Odd's guys... everybody available was there.

"Earlier, I asked Dan to describe the person who was standing outside his house. Then, I just asked Hosuh to describe the person he's currently with. The descriptions are _exactly_ the same. One of you call Dan to see if the girl from just now is still standing outside his house." Stephen heaved a sigh, his brows furrowing even farther, "Light-skinned, pink hair, and short. This is not fucking ideal."

Cas shook his head, "What kind of weird doppelganger bullshit is this? It can't be the same person in both places at once."

Stephen shook his head, "It can't. So this means that we're up against two people who — as far as basic descriptions go — look pretty much exactly the same."

"It's like some pair of trippy, weird twins," Jay looked up from his phone, before adding, "Just spoke to Dan, by the way. He says the girl is indeed still there."

For a moment, Stephen only stared.

"This is— fuck, Jay, you're a genius. Fuck. I just— twins. Fuck. Fucking twins. Jay, you— fuck." Stephen shoved a hand through his purple locks, pacing a circle around the room.

"Look, I'm all for swearing every now and then, but, what's the epiphany you clearly just got?" JoCat piped up from his perch on a chair.

Stephen pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, holding it out to them, "This is the most recent note from The Monarch. Just got it tonight at eight-thirty. I always assumed the 'T.M.' that they signed off with stood for 'The Monarch'. But today, it says 'Twin Monarchs'. And the note is phrased as if it's been written by more than one person.

"And, since the two girls that Dan and Hosuh described have such similar appearances, those are the two we've been looking for this whole time. They're the 'Twin Monarchs' in the letter. I've always figured that The Monarch was one dude, but apparently it's two girls. Jay, you're a fucking genius."

"I know I am," Jay waved him off, "So, we gotta save Hosuh _and_ Daniel. Give us the game plan, Stephen."

A game plan. Right.

Hosuh was still in danger.

Stephen's jaw clenched at the thought, at the prospect of Hosuh, confused and scared, stuck in an unfamiliar place with someone of an undefined level of threat. Clueless bait, in the machinations of a trap not meant for him.

When Stephen spoke again, there was a darker edge to his voice that hadn't been there before, "We split half and half. Odd, you and your guys will go find Dan. Bring Jay along, he knows the area well. The rest of you are coming with me. Lin, I want the location and layout of Whitewood Residences down to the square inch. We leave in five minutes. The girls are not to be hurt, but bring them back here. I need to find out why they did all this."

With a mixture of firm nods and quick sounds of agreement, the group split up into their two groups, some guys breaking away to grab certain belongings, as serious murmurs made their way around the warehouse.

Jay walked up to where Stephen was brooding in his chair. The year before, they'd brought in a coffee table, and a set of fairly ornate chairs that would've been replaced when the Delanore household was redecorating. Jay grabbed one and spun it around to sit on it backwards.

Resting his arms on the backrest of the chair, Jay scrutinized Stephen.

Barely having had time to change earlier, Stephen was dressed in rumpled black jeans, and a shirt that almost matched the shade of his messy hair. One of his sneakers was coming undone, and the only word for Stephen's eyes was dark. Dark with contemplation.

"I don't think you should go." Jay held up a finger to silence Stephen's look of surprise, "Don't take it the wrong way. I just think that, you're deadly focused on getting Hosuh to safety. Which ain't wrong; I want the kid back safe, too. But you may get hurt. Or, worse, you might end up hurting someone more than you want to.

"And seeing you fight? Seeing your more violent side? That isn't what Hosuh needs right now. He'll need someplace safe to be tonight. We can't just drop him home so late at night — it's already nearly ten — and expect him to be alright on his own, or expect his parents to understand everything. You should wait at your house. It's a more familiar place, you'll feel better too.

"We'll drop off Hosuh at your place and make our way to the warehouse with the girls. Once you've got Hosuh settled in, you can meet us at the warehouse, and then return to him when the meeting is over."

Stephen, initially indignant, couldn't find a reason to argue about any of Jay's points. He shot his friend a grin, "Alright. You win. This better not be some ploy of yours to keep me out of all the fun stuff. I've missed the rush of adrenaline, you know. You're lucky you're so convincing. Can't get rid of me that easily."

"No way in hell, man. You know I'd have you by my side in any tussle. You should head back to your house soon. We'll call you if there are any huge developments."

Stephen rolled his eyes good-naturedly, "Don't you have a Daniel to save?"

"Don't you have a Hosuh to worry about?" Jay smirked as he stood up.

Heading to the front of the warehouse, where his team was ready to go, Jay murmured a quick explanation to Lin and his group about why Stephen wasn't going with them.

As his group set out for Dan's house, Odd caught up to Jay, teeth bared in anticipation as they led the pack together. Jay nodded in acknowledgement, knowing his own grin was feral, half-wild, as the cool night air brushed into his lungs, welcoming him.

It had been a while since he'd been on the hunt.

———

Hosuh shifted in his beanbag.

He'd initially been sitting on the couch with Pau, as the cupcakes they'd made baked in the oven, but had felt safer leaving more of a gap between them. Same reason why he was hugging one of the throw cushions like a lifeline.

It just felt better to have something between himself and Pau.

Pau, who had been so sweet and friendly. Had it all been a front? The time they'd spent together, the friendship that Hosuh had thought they'd built? Nothing more than a mask over who she actually was, underneath all the smiles and gentle laughs?

He knew she was talking, saying something. Hosuh knew he'd been replying, chatting about inconsequential things with her. But it all seemed so far away. Talking about favorite color schemes in digital art seemed so ridiculously banal, when on the inside, Hosuh was consciously forcing his face to remain neutral, forcing his feet not to tap with nervous energy.

Forcing himself not to shudder in fear every time she smiled at him, and he couldn't help but wonder how many times she'd done that, building his trust, all the while planning, laying a trap that led up to this exact night. And even though—

"... you alright, Hosuh? You look a little unwell. Anything the matter?" Pau was suddenly asking, nothing but concern on her face.

"I— I'm alright. Just worried about school. You remember that guy who called me earlier about the project? Yeah, it's just real busy right now," Hosuh replied, a little shocked at how easily the lie glided from his lips.

"Ohh, yeah. Don't let your group overwork you, Hosuh. Make sure they're doing their part as well," Pau sighed, getting up and heading to the kitchen, "Geez, group projects suck. I'll make us some chamomile tea. To help you calm down, and also because the cakes are done, and no other drink goes better with these cupcakes. You want honey in yours?"

"Yeah, sounds great," Hosuh replied, just relieved that Pau believed that he was stressed, and nothing more.

He heard the oven being opened, and the smell of freshly baked cupcakes filled the air.

Pau brought out a pretty wooden tray with two mugs of steaming tea, setting one down on the coffee table before him, and taking one for herself, "The cupcakes are still cooling a bit, I'll bring them out in a moment."

Hosuh nodded, taking a sip from his tea, before admiring the stars-and-moon design of the mug, stark white against the cup's deep blue enamel. It was kinda bohemian. He could appreciate that. Very pretty.

Hosuh didn't know how long he'd stared at the mug, with the gentle smoothness of its indigo-dark walls. Inside, the tea was a soft golden color, the honeyed sweetness of it slipping across his tongue as he drained the last of it.

Hosuh hadn't really noticed Pau when she stood to look out the window. He brushed his fingers over the mug again. So smooth. In the back of his mind, he remembered the feeling that something wasn't quite right. But, how could anything be wrong?

Nothing was wrong, Hosuh thought to himself, still holding on to the mug, even as the last of the warmth from the already-finished tea leached out of it. He hummed to himself softly, not understanding why he'd felt so uneasy before.

The mug was pretty and it curved so gently. Hosuh couldn't help but feel like there had once been a person who had been like the mug. Solid, and smooth, and brimming with dark beauty. He couldn't remember who. Not when the endless blue was so very deep, and so softly enveloping him.

He vaguely registered the sound of something... footsteps — many of them — outside the door, shouts from downstairs. Or maybe the shouting had come first.

And then Pau was turning to look at him from where she stood at the window. She looked... sad? That wasn't good. Pau was his friend. She shouldn't be sad.

And he had nearly missed what she'd said next, "For what it's worth, Hosuh, I really am sorry."

Maybe he was confused, or maybe he was curious, but he didn't know, because then people started yelling from outside, and pounding at the door, and Pau looked so worried and hidden, like she was forcing herself to stay strong. But he felt so warm, so safe, and the mug was so pretty, and so smooth in his hands, and when he faded, as he fell from consciousness, the color of sleep was dark blue.

———

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!! Sorry that this chapter took longer than usual! 
> 
> To be completely honest, this chapter was only going to be finished around the end of this week, given my usual schedule. But guess who's sick and got to stay home from school!! So I figured I'd get as much writing done as possible. The next chapter might take a while, though.
> 
> As I mentioned in my most recent AN, there will be no set upload schedule anymore, because school is really kicking up now. But rest assured that this story will finish. I'm so proud of this story, though it's not much, and I'm really grateful for all of you guys. Thanks for being so sweet, y'all!!
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated in the comments, even if it's just to yell at me for ending on another cliffhanger. I promise next chapter will be good. Everything gets figured out, so just hang on. Have a great week, everybody!!
> 
> EDIT: Okay, I just want to clarify that Hosuh wasn’t drugged with anything harmful, just a sleeping drug. Nothing like cocaine or LSD. Hosuh was not high, or intoxicated. He was just falling asleep. I should’ve mentioned this before, dammit. Sorry if it bothered anyone.


	30. Execution: Part III - Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all will not believe how long it took for me to finish this. I haven't had time to edit properly, yet. Any grammar or spelling mistakes, just tell me in the comments. I'm sorry that this is so late.
> 
> Apology fluff right below; keep reading.
> 
> Quick note for those who actually read this: The "Twin Monarchs" aren't actual biological twins. I used the word "twin" as in, that there's two of them. Like "twin blades". Arguably, I could be a little mistaken about the word use, but the bottom line is that the girls are not actual twins. They aren't even sisters.

**[Thursday, Week 7]**

When he next awoke, the shouting and loud noise was gone, and the first color that he saw when he rose from sleep was purple. Unfocused and a little blurry, but purple all the same.

Aching happiness spread through him, bittersweet before he knew what was going on. But how could it be bitter, when the purple he was looking at was the most beautiful color he'd ever seen?

And a single name came to his mind.

_Stephen._

It wasn't his name, but it was the name of the boy who was carrying him, who was looking at him with such gentle worry and relief.

"Stephen?"

And he finally remembered his name, when Stephen's eyes — strange and deep and hazel — focused on him, blinking as if Stephen himself had just awoken from slumber too, and said, "Hosuh."

Not a question.

And before Hosuh knew it, Stephen was setting him down on something soft, some smooth expanse, something that wasn't as warm or as steady as Stephen's arms. And already Hosuh missed Stephen's velvet-wrapped strength, already he missed the familiar scent that he could recognize — though he didn't know how — as Stephen.

But then, Stephen was kneeling to be the same height as Hosuh, brushing a hand against Hosuh's hand, and murmuring low in that smooth voice of his, "I'm so glad you're alright."

And everything came back.

All the confusion of that day. All the fear of realizing that Pau had been a liar, that she'd been after him like a predator chases down prey, like a hunter pursues his quarry. All the unmistakable pain at being betrayed, at being drugged in a friend's home.

But even as the first traces of panic shot through Hosuh's veins, even as his hands gripped at the soft surface beneath him — it was a couch, he realized — even as Hosuh jolted to sit upright, Stephen was already reaching out to tuck back stray strands of hair, already murmuring comfortingly, already ghosting a thumb over one of Hosuh's cheekbones.

"Hey, hey, don't think about it, okay? You're safe, you're here with me. It's alright, don't think about it," Stephen reassured, his hazel eyes steady and warm, his chiseled features barely six inches from Hosuh's own face.

That was all it took, for Hosuh to breathe deeper, softer, unable to do anything but stare, even as he fought the urge to throw his arms around Stephen's strong shoulders, to bury his face against Stephen's neck.

"I'm glad you're alright," Stephen repeated, seemingly lost in Hosuh, before he snapped himself back to the present, "Stay here, alright? I'd stick around to be with you, but there's still stuff that needs to be worked out. I don't want you to have to get all tangled up in everything; it's been bad enough for you already. The bathroom's upstairs if you want to shower, and you can borrow some of my clothes to sleep. We'll send you home in the morning, but stay here. Just for tonight."

Hosuh nodded obediently, eyes a little wide, still trying to process everything that Stephen had said.

"Don't worry about anything, alright? It's been real stressful for you. The guest bedrooms are on the second level, just across mine, if you get sleepy. I'll be back in about an hour, yeah?" Stephen murmured, a hand absently brushing the curve of Hosuh's face in farewell, as he stood to leave.

Stephen turned to glance once more at Hosuh, not willing to walk away just yet, searching those silver eyes like he'd never see them again. And then Hosuh was reaching up, catching hold of Stephen's wrist with the same gilded grace that Stephen had been trying to memorize before leaving, and there was urgency in the soft curves of his face, and the words were tumbling out of his lips, tripping over each other messily, hanging in the air with a stilted, slightly unsure sense of sincerity.

"I— wait, Stephen, it's— About... about that day... I'm really sorry, I was panicking, and I couldn't think straight, and I was so confused, but I didn't run away because I was angry. And— and I'm not angry at you now. And I've really, really wanted to apologize to you all this time, but—"

Stephen didn't know why he did it, or what was going on in his mind, but all he could think was that Hosuh — in all his gentle softness and silvered beauty — had come back safe, and that Hosuh was alright.

And then Stephen himself was leaning down, to press a kiss to Hosuh's forehead, his hands gently framing Hosuh's face, which effectively cut a pause in Hosuh's apologetic — but sincere — rambling.

Pulling back gently, his hands still gently brushing against the sides of Hosuh's face, Stephen loved the way Hosuh had straightened up a little, the faintest flush dusted across his cheekbones, he loved the way Hosuh was real, warm under his fingers, waiting in slightly stunned silence for him to speak.

"Hey, it's alright. There's no rush, Hosuh. The last thing I want is for you to feel like you're obligated to explain yourself to me. I'll listen to you tell me all about it later, if you feel like you want to. But for right now, you need rest. And I need to find out why all this happened to you."

And maybe Hosuh couldn't breathe. Maybe he was staring, staring at the boy in front of him, with the strange, hazel eyes, with the lips like velvet softness. Maybe he was reveling in the beauty of what Stephen had just told him, in the gentle warmth of Stephen's gaze.

Maybe Hosuh was throwing his arms around Stephen's neck, like he'd so often wished to do, skin-drunk at the touch of the purple-haired boy, at feeling of the warmth blooming in his chest, as he breathed a single line over and over again, against Stephen's ear.

"I missed you."

And there it was, the smile that Hosuh had missed so dearly in the mere weeks that they'd been apart, the smile like the stars whose silver Hosuh carried in his own hair, as Stephen gently murmured in farewell, "I missed you too. Wait for me, Hosuh Leblanc, I'll be back soon."

———

Stephen stepped out of the front door of his house, the warmth of Hosuh still in the tips of his fingers, Hosuh's gentle, glittering smile still in his mind.

Jay, who had been waiting for Stephen at the door, gave a rare, slight smile, worlds away from his usual razor-sharp smirks, "Glad the kid's safe, man. Good thing you were here for him. Now let's go; we've got matters to take care of. The guys are all there."

As they made their way over to the warehouse, which was where the girls were, Jay — on his guard as always — filled Stephen in on what had happened.

Strangely enough, Jay had mentioned, with a quirk in his brow, the girls had been the only ones defending either of their captives. After all the implication in the note that there had been multiple people guarding Dan's house and Hosuh, it had been weird that there was only one person at each location. And apparently, neither of the two girls had put up much of a fight after being found, anyway.

The warehouse was crowded.

It wasn't noisy — the loudest anyone was speaking was a tense murmur — and the expansive area of the warehouse was certainly enough to hold everyone, but there was easily three or four times the usual number of people around.

Stephen wasn't surprised that Dan was nowhere to be found — he'd been made to rest at home, after the whole ordeal. Taking a quick sweep of the room, Stephen found the girls leaning against one of the walls, speaking to each other in hushed whispers, looking strangely at ease, despite being literally surrounded by Stephen's guys.

As he'd commanded, the girls weren't tied up or restrained against their will, but there were people from his gang standing all around them, subtly on guard. There was a veritable barricade of people guarding the door as well, about two solid walls of guys just lined up to restrict entering and exiting.

Stephen murmured quickly to Odd, who immediately nodded, moving efficiently to dismiss almost everybody in the warehouse, telling them in low, sharp orders that they could head home for the night.

When the last of the guys had filed neatly out the door, the warehouse was completely empty, save for a very minimal company — which included the girls, Jay, Lin, Cas, Jo, and Odd, along with Stephen himself.

Not bothering to look at any of them, Stephen made his way to the center stage of the warehouse, to the table and chairs on which Stephen had been seated, barely less than a couple of hours ago, heart and mind lost only to thoughts of getting Hosuh back safe.

Stephen took a seat at the head of the table, head tipping gently to the side, a leg crossed over the other in a show of casual power.

A king before his court.

A toss of his head, "Shall we begin?"

———

They certainly looked alike, Jay mused.

He could tell the resemblance. The same relaxed posture, the same porcelain skin, the same eyes — infuriatingly unreadable, hiding the quick minds that lurked deeper underneath the girls' perfect poker faces.

Stephen had been questioning them, with formidable bravado. Something about their reasons for the whole mess.

The girls had wanted recognition. A pretty common motivator.

Anyway, they'd revealed their names — finally.

The one with the mask — who'd been outside Daniel's house — was Pau. The other one was Mona. Stephen had seemed confused — though Jay certainly couldn't understand why — and had said something about Hosuh saying Mona was Pau. Or something.

It was confusing, but at least the girls weren't lying to them. If there was one thing Jay knew he was good at, it was spotting lies.

Jay zoned back in to Mona's voice — the one who'd taken Hosuh, he remembered, "We'll be joining your gang. There's no reason for us to lie to you. 'Mona' _is_ my real name, and hers is 'Pau'."

His eyebrows drawing down in confusion, Jay held up a hand, "Wait, what makes you so sure you'll be joining us? We have no reason to let you."

Pau slipped off her mask, shrugging and saying, "Well, I'll come right out and say it. Think about it this way. You've just been outsmarted by two girls who are practically nameless, as far as the other gangs in the area are concerned.

"I concede that you eventually managed to save the boy, Hosuh, and your second-in-command from where we held them. But, we could have easily held them captive — or worse — for much longer, and none of you would have been any the wiser. So, right now, Mona and I are the only ones to have ever had the upper edge on you. None of the other gangs have ever come anywhere close in the past.

"And the request we're making now is that you allow us to join your gang. If you think about it, that's an offer you can't — or shouldn't — refuse."

Lin, who'd formerly been sitting in contemplative silence, sat up straighter in his seat, eyes clearing as he looked up at the rest of them, ""No, no. They're right. We shouldn't be turning them down. Can't afford to."

At Cas' questioning look, Lin explained, "Word will get out that there's been a pair of girls who managed to outwit our gang. If we don't let them join our gang, there'll be plenty of others who'll be willing to take them in, in order to get rid of us. Just on their own, Pau and Mona could have easily thrown our gang into chaos by capturing a very close acquaintance, and one of Stephen's right-hand guys. And with the backup of another big gang at their back?"

"We'd have trouble that we probably wouldn't be able to deal with," Stephen finished slowly, a flash of reluctant comprehension dawning in his eyes.

Mona gave Lin a glance of surprised appraisal, "Yeah, he's got it. And, additionally, if you let us join you, your gang will benefit as well. Because you'll still be the biggest gang around, and even more intimidating because you've already recruited the only people who've ever succeeded in getting the upper hand on you."

From where Jay was, Stephen didn't look too happy about it, but goddamn if Pau and Mona weren't right. Their gang was in no position to be turning the girls down.

Just across from Jay, Odd cut in for the first time, "Fair enough. But you said you wanted recognition? Where does our gang factor into this? What recognition could've been important enough to you guys, for you to have gone this far to get it?"

It was a valid question. Even Jay could see that the girls hadn't been perfectly comfortable with everything they'd done recently. And yet they'd done it.

The former cool calmness on the girls' faces splintered for a moment, something almost like unease brewing under their masks, as they swapped quick glances.

"I'll say that we've tried before. Joining a gang, I mean. Because it's not the easiest thing to grow up on the streets, especially with scuffles happening all around, and people starting fights. It didn't work out, if that's not obvious.  
Asking a huge group of guys who all think they're the strongest or best at fighting to take in two girls who could barely defend themselves. Not a very good idea. They didn't think we had much to offer. Ran into some trouble with the leader, when we were trying to convince them to let us in, I'll say that much," Pau explained.

It didn't escape Jay's notice, the way Pau's voice became infinitesimally more brittle, or how her earlier smoothness was gone. Or how Mona had crossed her legs slightly tighter as Pau spoke, moving to rest her chin on her hand a little too late to hide how her eyes had darted down in what looked very much like shame.

Before Jay could process the girls' actions, Pau was speaking again, flicking a strand of hair out of her face, as she regained control again, "And what better way to prove everyone wrong than to manage to join the biggest gang around? You guys will have an alliance with the only ones smarter than you, and we'll have the protection of the most intimidating group in the sector.

"Not to mention that this whole stunt of ours will attract attention, and everybody will be talking about the unnamed girls who outwitted Stephen Delanore, and then promptly turned and started working with him. Nobody will understand what we've been trying to accomplish, except that it worked, and now we're at the top with your gang. The sense of not knowing will drive people's admiration — perhaps even their fear — up even more."

Jay could tell that Stephen was considering it. After hanging out with him for longer than either of them could remember, Jay knew what those furrowed brows meant, and that barely-noticeable scrunch of the nose.

Stephen only looked up, eyes still guarded, as he voiced his last inhibition, "You took Hosuh."

A shock of guilt shot through Mona's eyes, her countenance shifting with a pained look before melting back into the neutrality that Jay could tell was beginning to crack, "Indeed. I'm not apologizing; I know how much of a dick move it would be to pull a stunt like that and then expect you to forgive me. The only consolation I can offer is that we never meant to hurt Hosuh."

"For some reason, I don't quite believe you. You drugged the kid," Jo shrugged from where he sat, shooting a glance at the two girls.

"Fair enough. We used a weak sedative, though. The target— Hosuh, I mean, should have woken up just under two hours after you found him. I know it'll have left him with trauma to an extent, but it was a better alternative than letting him accidentally get hurt in the crossfire when your guys stormed the apartment. I also factored in that being caught in the midst of a tussle could have been worse for him," Pau explained, almost noticeably shielding Mona by answering the question first.

Jay leaned back in his chair. He could tell that Stephen was convinced — albeit not completely. The girls had made a good point. Hosuh had an issue with violence, Stephen had once mentioned, and Jay knew that Pau and Mona had hit the nail on the head.

Not that he was fine with Hosuh having been drugged, but Jay appreciated that the girls were being serious, and it certainly helped that they knew the severity of what they'd done to both Hosuh and Dan. And, as much trouble as they'd caused, Jay couldn't help feeling a grudging respect for Pau and Mona. Their plan had been well-crafted, there was no other way to say it.

"So. You two will join my gang?" Stephen raised an eyebrow, his previously-thoughtful expression easily slipping into a confident smirk, a subtle aura of power resting in the cant of his head, in the angles of his grace-strewn limbs.

Jay sat back, watching with a spectator's calm, as Pau and Mona realized that they had almost won, watching to see how they would respond.

Pau moved to meet the shift in the atmosphere perfectly, loosening in her seat, and leaning back with the slow ease of meeting an equal, "I should certainly hope so. We've all spent so long already. Surely we can come to an agreement. I'd hate for us to have wasted all this time."

Any other time, Jay and the rest of the guys would have bristled at anybody speaking to their leader with such a presumptuous tone — but not now. Now was the time for the two sides to meet, the apex predators colliding in suit of respect and approval.

And goddamn if the girls weren't handling it well. Mona, too, had undergone a shift in persona, her head tilted with confidence just verging on hauteur, swept against an armrest in a casual, practised slant, every movement honeyed with regal grace. Everybody in the room was watching for the girls' reactions, and they were putting on one hell of a show.

If Stephen was impressed, he didn't show it.

Chin lifting in a barely-noticeable show of power, Stephen gave a winner's grin, the smile of someone who knew that he could get away with bargaining for anything, "You'll need to be trained first, I presume. From what I heard, the fights you put up were... underwhelming, shall I say? And certainly, there will need to be safeguards put in place around your movements in the gang for a while. Trust issues, I'm sure you understand."

The girls handled the subtle digs at their abilities with considerable grace, Pau showing only the tiniest hint of a strained smile, "Of course. I'm sure we can discuss the particulars another day. It's getting fairly late — nearly an hour past midnight."

"Agreed." Stephen leaned back, a satisfied smirk on his face, before uncrossing his legs smoothly, and heading for the door with long, languid strides. Stephen's head barely turned to address the small group in the warehouse, as he threw an offhanded wave over his shoulder, "Party's over. You're all free to go."

———

The house was quiet when Stephen returned.

Hosuh had probably already gone to bed in one of the guest rooms, Stephen figured, running a hand through his hair, as he headed up to his room and pushed open the door.

Just then, Hosuh came out of one of the guest bedrooms, drying his hair with a towel, while stifling a yawn.

Glancing up in surprise, and what seemed like relief, Hosuh gave a somewhat tentative smile, "Stephen. You're back?"

And Stephen could've sobbed in relief, to see Hosuh, gentle and soft and safe, and right _there_, in Stephen's own house, wearing one of his old pullovers, which was endearingly oversized on Hosuh's slender frame.

And _goddamn_ if simply being in Hosuh's presence didn't already soothe Stephen's nerves. Stephen didn't want to leave. Didn't want to do anything but throw his arms around Hosuh, to feel Hosuh, real and warm and secure again, to just be close to the boy with the silver hair and soft hands.

"Yeah, I'm back. It took a little longer than I expected, sorry," Stephen murmured, genuinely feeling sorry that he couldn't have come back to see Hosuh sooner, "I need to shower; you should head off to bed first. You know where the guest rooms are, right?"

Not quite catching what Hosuh's response was, Stephen headed into his room to get a change of clothes and wash his damn hair.

———

Stephen finished pulling on his shirt.

It was one of his favorites, dark blue, and ridiculously soft. Towelling the back of his head quickly, and pushing open the bathroom door, that led directly into his bedroom.

Hand still reaching up to brush stray water droplets from the back of his neck, Stephen paused in the doorway.

"Hosuh?"

Hosuh, his hair unbound, was sitting at the foot of Stephen's bed, hands folded neatly in his lap, eyes half-shielded by the strands of silver that swooped across his gentle features.

Stephen stepped forward again, confusion in his voice, "Hosuh, you're not in bed yet? Are the guest rooms not comfy enough? Are you looking for extra blankets? What do you need?"

Hosuh shifted, standing to match Stephen, his gaze slanting downwards, before murmuring, his voice soft with what sounded a little like shame, "I... I don't... I don't want to be alone. Not tonight."

Oh.

Stephen's features melted into a soft smile, one that only appeared around a certain boy with silver hair, a hand reaching up to ruffle those moonlit locks gently, "Well, then it's a good thing my bed has space for two."

Hosuh glanced up, the tiniest hint of uncertainty in his eyes.

"Not like that. I just want you to feel safe. Stay with me tonight, Hosuh Leblanc?" Stephen murmured, his own voice lifting slightly with a soft, tentative hope.

Hosuh was already beautiful, even more so than Stephen remembered, the silver hair, and ivory skin merging in a soft beauty worth a goddess' envy. Goodness knew how Hosuh had taken Stephen's breath away the moment he'd awoken from unconsciousness, all fluttering lashes and soft whispers.

But nothing had ever seemed so full of gentle, quiet beauty, nothing had ever seemed so immeasurably _sacred_, as the smile and quiet murmur of agreement that Hosuh gave right then.

Stephen could only laugh, a pure, faultless joy spilling from his lips, as Hosuh surged forward, catching them both in a hug. No words, no speech required to articulate the contentment they both felt — at the feeling of all their confusion, their denial in the past couple of months, every loose end between them, all neatly tied up, shifting and shimmering and whole.

And it was so soft, and so quick, that Stephen nearly missed it.

Nearly missed the kiss — nothing more than the gentlest whisper of contact — that Hosuh pressed to his cheek.

Stephen glanced down, his eyes catching Hosuh's own, which shone like silver beacons in the near-darkness of Stephen's room. Hosuh — the boy with the soft skin, and gentle lips, and burnished silver hair, and the slim, starlit body that fitted so perfectly in Stephen's own arms — looked up, the smooth curves of his face shifting to form a smile that nearly stopped Stephen's heart.

And then Stephen was leaning down, fingers pressing softly into Hosuh's face and neck, gently tilting Hosuh's head up, and Hosuh was up on his tiptoes.

And the world could have melted away. Stephen didn't know anything but that Hosuh was there, in his arms finally, that Hosuh was warm and safe and real. Nothing mattered when their lips met in a kiss of shattering gentleness, eyelashes fluttering against each other's skin, soft and slow and eternal.

Finally pulling away, Stephen leaned back to take in the sight of Hosuh, skin-drunk on the sweetness of the kiss, eyes bright like stars, the barest flush resting under his pale skin.

"We need to sleep," was all Stephen said, nothing but a whisper in the silence of the night.

A simple nod from Hosuh, whose eyes — pulsing with the glow of moonlight — were still fixed on Stephen, as if he were unwilling — or unable — to look at anything else.

The sheets and mattress were soft, but even softer was Hosuh's embrace, which enveloped Stephen the moment they were both settled in bed. Stephen huffed a gentle laugh against the top of Hosuh's head, his own arms moving to rest around the slender boy.

Hosuh himself, had never felt safer than he did in Stephen's arms. Allowing the older boy's heartbeat to lull him to sleep, Hosuh shifted nearer, savoring Stephen's warmth, savoring the quiet strength that shifted with every movement of the taller boy's body.

And then, Stephen murmured, in that low, soothing voice of his, "Have I ever mentioned that I love you?"

That much was pretty evident, after what they'd done mere minutes ago, Hosuh figured, giving a good-natured eye roll, though Stephen couldn't see it.

Still, Hosuh snuggled even closer, replying softly, "Tell me tomorrow."

His arms pressing tighter around Stephen's waist, Hosuh breathed in, loving Stephen's scent, loving the feel of Stephen's deep blue shirt, the last color that he registered as they fell asleep in each other's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew!! That was a long chapter. Especially because it's part of a three-part chapter. But whatever. Technicalities, am I right?
> 
> I literally just finished writing this, and immediately posted. I'm so sorry, guys, I feel so bad to keep y'all waiting. It's been almost a full month, and I promise I haven't given up on this. It's just, school and all. I'll try my absolute best to get the next one out soon. I'm really sorry that the update intervals have gotten so long.
> 
> Still, hope y'all like the way things turned out in the story. I know I can't make everybody happy. Criticism is perfectly fine if you guys feel like the ending wasn't too great, but please stay respectful. Rude comments will be deleted (I've already had to deal with one), because I don't appreciate people insulting my writing, or the characters in the story. So, please keep it civil, y'all.
> 
> Hopefully the apology fluff was good...? There'll be more on the way, don't worry. I swear that this story will not end until I've posted the epilogue (oops, spoiler), which I've actually already written in advance. No matter how long it takes to get the last couple of chapters out, you all have my word that I'm not giving up on this.
> 
> Also, this story is officially long enough to count as a legit novel now. I'm so damn happy, guys. I should celebrate, shouldn't I? That's it, I'm making a fuckass buttload amount of brownies and nobody can stop me.
> 
> (Also, a random fact: Y'all know how Mona introduced herself to Hosuh with Pau's name? And how Pau — the real one — was the one going around and confusing the gangs, when she was disguised as The Monarch? I thought it was kinda clever how "Monarch" had "Mona" in it. Because like, technically Mona used Pau's name as an alias, and Pau's alias had Mona's name in it. I just... I was pretty proud of that one. Sorry to spam the notes, y'all, I just felt like I did something clever there. Sorry. I just have an appreciation for playing on words.)


	31. Revel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I'm sorry. All of all, I'm really sorry.

**[Saturday, Week 12]**

Hosuh pushed a stray lock of hair out of his face, tucking it behind his ear, shooting a small smile at his reflection in the mirror.

His phone dinged with a notification, the screen lighting up.  
  


Stephen ♥

_ on the way with the chaos people. _

_ sorry we're late _

_ in my defense, jay was the one holding us up, not me _

  
  
  


Hosuh smiled, the defiant lock of silver flopping back over his forehead again. Not bothering to sweep it away again, Hosuh typed a reply. Taking one last glance down at his outfit, and grabbing Stephen’s present, he turned off his phone and headed downstairs.

Fighting a silly smile, Hosuh tried to ignore the butterflies in his stomach as he made his way down the stairs to meet his boyfriend.

———  
  


"Stop staring at your phone like a dope, you dumbass," came the voice of a certain sociopathic blond, "We all know you're texting Hosuh, but keep an eye on the road, would you?"

Stephen Delanore lifted his head to roll his eyes at his friend, "Chill, Jay. We haven't died yet."

Dan shrugged jokingly, not glancing up from his phone, "And, besides, Stephen wasn't the one who took almost an hour to get ready."

"Exactly." Stephen grinned as they pulled up to Hosuh's house and hit the brakes, sending Jay and Dan pitching forward in the backseat, before Jay could snap in retaliation to Dan's comment.  
  


———

  
  


Hosuh opened the car door and settled himself in the front passenger seat, a laugh making its way past his lips at the cacophony of greeting from Daniel and Jay in the backseat. He held out a palm-sized giftbox, a white bow attached to the top, along with a small tag that only had a heart drawn on it.

Perhaps slightly lost in Stephen’s gentle smile, Hosuh murmured, “Happy birthday, yeah?”

Stephen reached out, fingers brushing Hosuh’s as he took the present, when Jay and Dan descended on them, “What’s the present?” “When’s the wedding?” “Can we carry the rings?”.

Ignoring them with the practiced skill of someone used to the frequent bullshittery of best friends, Stephen opened the box, to find a set of earrings nestled against the satin interior. One was a cross that dangled on a chain just over a couple inches long, while the other was a black, roughly-cut crystal surrounded by swirls of metal, the dark eye of a storm caught in time, which — judging by the length of the chain — would hang just under his earlobe.

The gold metal they were made of glinted brightly against the pale inside of the box, and any doubts Hosuh had about the gift vanished at the way Stephen was staring at the earrings.

“Shit, you absolutely have to wear them now,” Jay cheered from behind them, as Dan nodded assent.

“It’s okay if you don’t, it’s not really—” Hosuh reassured, but was cut off by Stephen immediately reaching up to pull out the simple silver studs he had on.

Hosuh smiled at his boyfriend’s eagerness, as Stephen tugged the rear-view mirror down to put in the new earrings, eyes intent with concentration. 

  
  


———

  
  


It wasn’t Stephen’s fault he hadn’t been able to stop flirting with his own boyfriend.

In his defense, Hosuh’s blush when he had blown a quick kiss after putting on the earrings had been adorable.

And, gods— Hosuh had never looked more effortlessly enchanting. Hosuh should probably have been legally banned from mint green linen shirts, just for the sake of the general public’s hearts. As opposed to his usual brown hair-tie, a slim silken ribbon had held Hosuh's ponytail in place, strikingly green against the silver locks. And had that been a smattering of gold powder across Hosuh's cheekbones?

Stephen zoned back in to catch the tail-end of a truly terrible pun by Dan, and watched Hosuh as he gave a half-laugh, half-groan in equal humor and disappointment. Catching his boyfriend’s eye, Stephen smiled, watching Hosuh’s gentle features shift to match it.

There was nowhere Stephen would’ve rather been.

  
  


———

  
  


“Now I _ really _ feel underdressed,” Dan joked, as they walked in. 

The sight of a full-length bar of dark marble and gleaming chrome embellishments greeted them. People swayed on the polished dance floor, clothed in all manner of silks and satins. Bartenders moved with honed efficiency in the low lighting, which was classy enough to remain a few notches above debaucherous dimness. All the while, music played, the pumping rhythm addictive but not juvenile. The Midnight Sun — as the silver letters across the bar proclaimed — in all its dark elegance, lived up to its reputation as the most expensive bar in town. 

Still, before any of them could take a single step farther, there came a shout from somewhere across the floor, “They’re here!”

Out of the crowd of unknown partiers came a boy, his head of curly red hair towering above even the tallest in the bar, flanked by multiple others, emerging from the mass of people. Hosuh’s attention was caught by the light glinting off of a silver barrette in the long, blue hair of a laughing girl he didn’t recognize.

Running a hand through his wild curls, the first boy grinned, “Took you guys long enough.”

Stephen laughed, “Fashionably late. As always. I suppose you’re never late to a party, Jay.”

“Me? I would never,” the boy turned to Hosuh, a friendly smile at the ready, “I don’t think any of them have the manners to introduce us, so what’s your name?”

  
  


———

  
  


Hosuh shifted closer to Stephen, savoring his boyfriend’s warmth as they reveled in the murmuring chatter of friends surrounding them, in the honeyed light that spilled over them where they sat at the bar, in the half-secret grins and murmurs they shared. 

Taking another sip of the pale, sweet cocktail Stephen had helped him pick, Hosuh lifted the coupe glass a little higher towards Stephen, “It tastes good. Cheers to your birthday, mm?”

“I’m getting older, ew,” Stephen laughed, pretending to raise his own glass in mock reluctance, before taking a drink. Forgoing any semblance of subtlety, as always, Stephen had ordered a bright green cocktail in a highball glass, which Hosuh wasn’t entirely convinced wasn't glowing.

Stephen straightened up, eyebrows lifting, and more than a touch of mischief in the angle of his grin, “You think they serve a purple cocktail around here?”

Dan glanced over from a couple seats away, “You already have a drink.”

“Yeah, but this one tastes like battery acid, which I drink all the time. It’s boring.”

“You could ask them to dye a colorless cocktail purple?” Hosuh suggested, fighting a laugh at Stephen’s antics.

Jay came up from behind — a glass of hard liquor that looked suspiciously strong in his hand — and leaned an arm on Stephen’s shoulder, “Ask ‘em to mix a red and a blue cocktail. I’m a genius, I know what I’m doing.”

Dan glanced up, raising an eyebrow, “Your ingenuity is questionable even when you’re sober, which you decidedly are not right now and— Stephen, where do you think you’re going?”

Not bothering to turn back, Stephen continued walking towards one of the bartenders, already pulling his wallet from the pocket of his bomber jacket, “I think you guys already know.”

  
  


———

  
  


Maybe it was the drink.

Maybe it was the soft, rosy cocktail in the glass, its trace amount of alcohol enough to have left a pleasant buzz in the back of Hosuh’s head. Though iced, the drink lent him a gentle warmth as he reveled in the welcome weight of Stephen’s hazel gaze, in the umbra of his boyfriend’s dark charm.

And there they were, on the dance floor, half-hidden in the shadows of an alcove. All secret smiles, and quiet banter, as well as a swaying that belied catchy music and a reluctance to fully dance.

The shifting, slanted light caught itself on Hosuh’s hair, purple and pink and golden alighting on his silver locks. Stephen was already a lost cause, unable to look away as Hosuh smiled, long lashes flicking, features pale like carven moonlight. 

Not that Hosuh minded in the least, starlit eyes barely focused as Stephen leaned down, one arm already bracketing Hosuh’s waist, the other hand tucking a defiant strand of silver into place. Lips soft and liquor-sweet, they met with bruising gentleness, Hosuh’s hands finding their spot in ruffled waves of purple. Somnolent and eternal, both drunk on the warmth and scent of the other. 

Eventually pulling away, they breathed, half dazed. Not willing to let go yet, Stephen pulled Hosuh closer, noting the slight blush on his boyfriend’s pale features with no small amount of pride.

And when Hosuh stood up on his tiptoes, murmuring a soft, “Again?”, Stephen was happy to indulge him.

“Enjoying ourselves, are we?” Stephen teased, when they pulled apart for the second time.

The slightest hint of an embarrassed smile was audible in Hosuh’s voice, “You look very good in maroon.” The words were accompanied by a loose wave towards Stephen’s bomber jacket.

Stephen couldn’t refrain from teasing more, “A purely aesthetic appreciation, I’m sure.”

Hosuh gave a laugh, “All professional, that’s me.”

Stephen stared at his boyfriend fondly, “I have probably never loved you more.”

And if that sentence had made Hosuh blush all over again and pull him down for one last kiss, Stephen wasn’t complaining.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's my own story; is it bad that I'm so happy that they're finally actually dating?
> 
> Sorry about the long wait, stuff's been crazy and school's starting back up next week. So while I am genuinely apologetic for the delay, I can't exactly promise that the next update will come much sooner. Still, thanks you guys for sticking around. All your comments have really helped to write this story.
> 
> It honestly feels really great to post a new chapter, I'll see you guys next time!!


	32. Masquerade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hELLO EVERYONE—
> 
> it's the last chapter, guys, can you believe it? sorry it's a little late, but I'm so excited to bring this story to what I hope is a shimmering close. enjoy!!

**[Friday, Week 16]**

Stephen got out of the car — thoroughly enjoying the impressed gasps from other masked seniors at the sleek vehicle — and moved around the other side to open the door for his boyfriend.

Hosuh stepped out, immaculate in a cream charmeuse shirt and slim black slacks. His eyes widened in slight surprise behind his ivory silk mask when Stephen offered his arm. 

Taking Stephen’s arm with all the polished grace of a professional socialite, Hosuh murmured, “Very gentlemanly of you.”

They prepared to walk down the playful red carpet that led into senior prom, and Stephen smirked, “I’m a gang leader, sweetheart, not a hooligan.”

  
  


———

  
  


While the theme for prom that year was “Masquerade”, masks did nothing to hide the bright green of Dan’s hair, nor the spiky golden of a certain uninvited guest. Within minutes of entering, Stephen and Hosuh found Dan and Jay among the crowds at the edge of the dance floor.

“Don’t worry, guys, it’s a masquerade. No one’ll be able to tell that Jay isn’t meant to be here,” Dan grinned, the corners of his mouth tugging up below his mask.

“Plus, I’m a genius,” Jay nodded seriously, “Best party crash ever.”

“A genius who’s off to spike the drinks…?” Hosuh asked, curious and suspicious at the same time.

“Nope!” Jay smiled widely, eyes visibly scrunching shut through the eyeholes of his mask, “I’m leaving for totally unrelated reasons, and I certainly do not have a pack of smokes, multiple lighters, or a flask of the strongest alcohol I could find, hidden at any place on my person right now. Bye!”

Stephen pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering something about not even  _ wanting _ to know what Jay was going to get up to, before he was whisked away by Hosuh to raid the table of cupcakes across the hall.

  
  


———

  
  


“Didn’t know you were capable of dressing up,” Hosuh teased gently, nodding towards Stephen’s clothes — far more formal than usual, “Thought it was all leather jackets and denim, hmm?”

Stephen laughed good-naturedly through a bite of his cupcake, slinging his free arm across Hosuh’s shoulders, “Ran out of jackets, sweetheart. Someone keeps stealing them.”

Ignoring the pointed look Stephen sent him, Hosuh smiled, “It’s a good thing they took your jackets, then, because now you’re wearing this, which is something I’m not complaining about.”

Hosuh would have laughed at the way Stephen puffed up slightly at the compliment, if not for how  _ good _ he looked. They were leaning against a wall, a small bubble of quiescence enveloping the two of them, and Stephen was unfairly distracting in a fitted waistcoat, stark black against the crisp white of his button-up. Stephen’s sleeves were loosely rolled up to reveal toned forearms, but it was still more formal than anything Hosuh had seen Stephen wearing before, and Hosuh had decided that he quite liked it. Still, the top two buttons of Stephen’s shirt had been purposefully left undone, his purple hair was artfully ruffled, which lent him a roguish nature that sent a slight warmth through Hosuh’s cheeks. 

“And you don’t look too bad yourself, sweetheart. The ribbon was a nice touch.” Stephen gave a grin, reaching up to flick at the lush bow that held up Hosuh’s ponytail, the satin a creamy white against Hosuh’s silvery locks.

Hosuh smiled, happy at the compliment, not caring that the both of them had held the whole conversation with their mouths full of their cupcakes. If he had abysmal table manners, it was Ann’s fault.

  
  


———

  
  


Of course, the night wouldn’t have been complete without some level of bafflement, which was definitely the word to describe Jay sitting with a full table of girls in a braiding train.

Jay was speaking, voice loud and only slightly slurred, “And I don’t even know how Tiffany got away with that because as far as I’m concerned, she was—”

“Jay, you good?” Stephen quirked an eyebrow.

Jay waved his concern away, “I’m perfectly fine. I’m climbing the ladder of social mobility. Now, leave me to spill the motherfuckin’ tea with polite, well-meaning, non-homophobic white girls; they’re very rare.”

Dan, who had evaded notice until then, popped up to shout, “Gay rights!”

The girls cheered raucously and Hosuh contributed a tiny “woo!”, drawing Stephen’s attention and mild amusement. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Hosuh spotted two familiar figures, and turned to wave at Shai and Ivu. Even with their masks on, it was hard to miss Ivu’s bone-white bob, and Shai’s deep blue hair. They waved back, before noticing Stephen by Hosuh’s side, and started — as all true friends should — sending ridiculously overexaggerated winks and shooting finger guns, before giggling like maniacs and disappearing back into the crowds.

Hosuh flushed, fully ready to physically drag an oblivious Stephen away from the two embarrassments he called best friends, when said boyfriend came up behind him, “Remind me again; how well do you respond to surprises?”

Hosuh was unable to stop a tiny smile, “It’s not really a surprise, if you’re mentioning it to me now…?”

“I mean,” Stephen frowned, features scrunching behind his mask, “I— stop poking holes in my logic. C’mon, follow me. Gotta show you something.”

Hosuh smiled, happily taking Stephen’s hand as they wove their way through masked attendees, heading for the exit at the back of the hall.

As they left prom and entered the darkened corridors of the rest of the school, they both pulled off their masks, and Hosuh laughed, “Remember that time we skipped class?”

Stephen lifted an eyebrow, a certain softness in his trademark smirk, as his black velvet mask dangled loosely from his fingers, “How could I forget?”

As stylish as both their masks had been, Hosuh couldn’t stop himself from reveling in the feel of the air against his face again, “The inside of the school looks so different at night. You think anything’s gonna jump out at us?”

Stephen narrowed his eyes playfully at Hosuh, “You just had to say that, right? Now every creepy thing in this building is gonna converge on us for the sole purpose of kicking our butts and it’ll— wait, you’re not supposed to see where we’re going.”

As Stephen stepped behind Hosuh and gently placed his hands over his eyes, Hosuh huffed a little laugh of mock exasperation, muttering something about stereotypical movie romance which made both of them chuckle.

“You have a point,” Stephen joked, “I have never felt more like a heterosexual white couple.”

Hosuh grinned, his steps a little shaky as they started walking again, “The straights are contagious! What are we gonna do?”

Stephen gave a loud laugh, steady against Hosuh’s back as they less-than-sneakily made their way down the school’s abandoned corridors. To Stephen’s relief, they managed to make it up a couple of flights of stairs with minimal tripping or suspicion from Hosuh.

Hosuh laughed at something Stephen had said, nearly stumbling on the last stair, but quieted as they exited the stairwell. He still couldn’t see, but the unmistakable movement of a night wind tugged at him, stray strands of his hair flying free around his face.

“Stephen, are we outdoors?”

And Hosuh could imagine Stephen’s smile as he said, “And that’s my cue.”

Lifting his hands from Hosuh’s face, Stephen couldn’t help but melt a little at the wonder that lit Hosuh’s eyes as he took in his surroundings. 

Hosuh couldn’t believe it. They were on the rooftop, like they had once been so long ago. Since they’d started dating, it had become more of a frequently-visited place of theirs. So many days they had spent here, studying, leaning over the railings to observe the city, or simply sitting, content to be in the other’s presence. Unlike all those times, though, someone had draped fairy lights across the steel railings, their gentle light casting a soft golden glow across the grassy ground and paths of cobblestones.

“Who did all this?” Hosuh gestured around, taking a few tentative steps outwards.

Stephen, a hand resting on the back of his neck, shrugged with a soft smile, “Someone must’ve come up here and done all this before prom started. How convenient.”

Hosuh fought a smile, playing along, “Mm, indeed. What a thoughtful person. It looks wonderful like this.”

“I’m sure whoever did this will be very happy to hear that.” Stephen laughed a little, “C’mon.”

Hosuh stepped out onto the grass, moving to meet his boyfriend at the edge of the roof. Arms braced against the balustrade, Hosuh stared openly at his boyfriend, basking in the fondness of Stephen’s returning gaze. And though they both faced out towards the nighttime cityscape, neither could deny that their attentions were really only captured by the other.

“I almost can’t believe you went to all this effort,” Hosuh gave a tiny laugh, gazing in slight amazement at the rooftop around them, “How early did you have to show up?”

“What do you mean? I had nothing to do with any of this,” Stephen shot over a playful smirk, eyes still fixed on Hosuh.

Rolling his eyes good-naturedly, Hosuh murmured, “Yes, yes. Of course. How could I be so foolish?”

And as they laughed together, Hosuh drew his boyfriend down by the neck to plant a soft kiss against his lips, “Have I  _ ever _ told you how ridiculous you are?”

As a teasing breeze swept around them, Stephen tipped his head back, gaze lifting to the skies, his lilting trademark sass apparent in his voice, “I should probably hear it more often, to be honest.”

And when Hosuh lifted onto his tiptoes to kiss him again, Stephen couldn’t help losing himself in Hosuh, losing himself in silvery moonlit locks, in expanses of soft, pale skin, in gentle hums of contentment. With nobody but the stars and sky to witness them, they had all the time in the world, as everything else faded into nothing more than a nameless fog. If that was what drowning felt like, Stephen figured he wouldn’t mind surrendering to the ocean.

Giggling slightly as Stephen pressed soft kisses against his jaw, Hosuh murmured in introspection, “I never really thought I’d be accepted in school by anyone, let alone find a boyfriend.”

“I have to admit, you were quite a pleasant surprise yourself.” Stephen smiled a little, shrugging, “What can I say? Contradictory stereotypes are interesting.”

Hosuh laughed a little, smiling at the familiar line, and it was all Stephen could do to stare.

“You are quite possibly the singular most breathtaking human I’ve had the fortune of meeting.” Maybe Stephen had said it to make Hosuh blush, maybe he’d said it to watch his boyfriend’s smile grow wider and softer. Or maybe it was true. Definitely the latter.

“Actually,” Hosuh grinned a little, “This breathtaking human would like to cordially invite you to ask me for a dance.”

“Did you just tell me to ask you to dance?”

“Um, yep.”

Stephen shook his head in amusement and half-belief, “What kind of gentleman would I be to refuse? Especially since I can actually dance, and I’m very very proud of it and sort of want you to ask how I know.”

Hosuh smiled knowingly, taking Stephen’s arm again, “Okay, how did you learn to ballroom dance?”

“Jay and I thought it would be cool in middle school, it’s embarrassing.” Stephen laughed, running a hand through his hair in a way that made Hosuh’s heart skip.

They stepped into formation, and Hosuh stared up at his boyfriend, fondness in his eyes, “I’m sure you will share all the humiliating details with me another day.”

“Oh, definitely.”

And if Stephen was surprised that Hosuh knew a waltz song by heart, he didn’t ask, not as his boyfriend’s soft humming filled the air. Both of them drew in, as time fell away around them, barely aware of the deepening night above them. So lost were they in each other, masks lying forgotten behind them.

The grass beneath their shoes was soft, the night breeze gentle, and the moonlight made everything glow with a shifting radiance. And maybe they were immortal. Maybe they were moving, twirling, swaying against each other, achingly beautiful. 

And so, with the unending sky — smooth like darkest velvet — stretching out overhead, they danced, depthless purple and ageless silver intertwining, like a midnight sky embracing its stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [these notes are a bit long, sorry bout that]
> 
> oh my goodness, everyone. this came out the moment I was done with it, I really hope the quality was up to standard especially for the ending of this story. I actually have an epilogue written, so I'll post that if you guys want one last closing chapter to just show how Stephen and Hosuh are doing a couple years later. (don't worry, it's all fluff)
> 
> anyway, I just really wanted to thank you guys for reading this story! like?? you guys are the best???? and I really really hope this story was overall a good fic y'know? and I know sometimes I'm memeing around in the notes, but it's genuinely been such an honor to write for the fandom and I've really appreciated you guys in the comments more than I could express.
> 
> as a side note too, would you guys be interested in more Hosuh/Stephen fics? because I have a couple ideas (though most of them probably won't be as long as this), but I'm not sure if I'll actually write them yet. just maybe drop me a comment, and also definitely tell me if y'all wanna read the epilogue, because I'll post that by the end of the week if you guys would like me to!!
> 
> thanks again, guys, and bye!! (for now) :D


	33. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's the epilogue yas guys

**[Three Years Later]**

Hosuh stepped out of his room, stifling a yawn, and blinked against the sunlight streaming in from the windows. The honeyed golden light spilled over him, slanted and sleepy, and altogether too soft for a morning as early as that day was.

As it was, Hosuh was already about to be lulled to sleep while standing up.

  
  


Stephen glanced over — at his somewhat disheveled boyfriend — from where he was sitting on the couch in the living room of the apartment they shared. Despite his unbound hair being mussed and ruffled from a good night’s rest, Hosuh was positively radiant, his silver locks and pale skin glowing gently in the morning light. Stretching and rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Hosuh adjusted the white hoodie he’d stolen from Stephen, oversized and soft, draped on his slim frame.

"I can’t believe you actually have a lecture at this time of the day. Poor child, your professor is crazy," Stephen cooed jokingly, lifting the coffee mug he was holding to offer Hosuh the goldfish crackers inside it. "You're going to eat breakfast, right? You seem so sleepy, need me to drive you to campus? You should sleep earlier."

Hosuh murmured something unintelligible.

He shuffled sleepily to the kitchen to grab a glass of milk, his tired but teasing voice carrying through the cosy apartment "Nah, I can make my own way to school… you’re such a mom, y’know?"

Stephen dramatically pressed the back of his hand against his forehead, "I can't believe you're abandoning me. These goldfish taste good, but they're not very good company."

"The lecture's only two hours, I'll be back even before noon!" Hosuh protested, putting the now-empty milk glass in the sink and rinsing it quickly, movements hurried despite his sleepiness.

"And I think I'll have died of loneliness and neglect before then," Stephen crunched a goldfish sadly.

Hosuh rolled his eyes good-naturedly, making his way over to Stephen to give him a playful bonk on the head, and pressed a kiss to his cheek, "Don't die. I'll buy more goldfish for you on my way home, yeah?"

Stephen quirked an eyebrow, considering the offer, before tugging Hosuh down by his collar for an actual, longer kiss, one that was slow and soft, and full of sleepy wonder as sunlit warmth spilled in from the large windows.

"Sounds good to me. See you in a while then, Hosuh Leblanc."

  
  


———

  
  


By the time the jingling of keys sounded outside the front door — barely fifteen minutes later, Stephen had taken to sitting cross-legged on the coffee table like a True Bi. His mug of goldfish sat, momentarily forgotten, as he searched his phone for memes to bombard his easily-amused boyfriend with during the outrageously early lecture.

But, then the door opened, and a somewhat embarrassed Hosuh stepped through.

Stephen gave a questioning look.

"I got to the bus stop before remembering that my class today is at nine o’clock in the evening, not in the morning, so I don't have the goldfish crackers," Hosuh replied slightly apologetically, setting his messenger bag down on the coffee table.

And then Hosuh had snuggled up onto the couch, grabbing one of their many throw blankets, and wrapping up in it. Satisfied with his blanket burrito, Hosuh shifted, eyes falling half shut, sleepy and gentle and revelling in the warmth of the blanket. And it was all that Stephen could do to marvel at the soft beauty of his boyfriend.

Standing up, Stephen carefully gathered Hosuh — blanket and all — into his arms, “Gonna move you to the bedroom, sweetheart.”

Huffing a small laugh at the sleep-slurred “Mmkay...” that came in response, Stephen pressed a soft kiss to Hosuh’s forehead, heading to their bedroom. Ignoring the urge to roll his boyfriend unceremoniously onto the bed, Stephen set Hosuh down softly, adjusting the blanket one more time, before settling into bed himself. 

Hosuh, sensing Stephen beside him, shifted closer, savoring the sense of comfort that came with his boyfriend’s presence, before murmuring sleepily, “Naptime?”

And as his own eyelids fell softly shut, as the two boys fell asleep — like they always had — safe in each other's arms, the gentle sunlight from the window still gilding their faces, Stephen gave a fond laugh, “Naptime, sweetheart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's officially over!! not sure if i'm happy at finally bringing everything to a close, or sad that this story has ended, but I just wanted to thank you guys again for reading. you guys are the best, and it was great to have y'all around, all your comments really encouraged me and helped to write this story.
> 
> there may come a day when I post a couple extra chapters of the future in the Worlds Apart AU (as parts of a series), but I will not promise anything for the moment. that will be a distant hope at best, for right now. thank you for reading, and I really, genuinely hope you guys enjoyed.
> 
> okay, that's all, bye! :D


End file.
